University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


1 


0 


REMINISCENCES 


OF 


FILIBUSTER"  WAR 


IN 


NICARAGUA 


BY 


C.  W.  DOUBLEDAY 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

G.  P.   PUTNAM'S    SONS 


1886 


COPYRIGHT   BY 

C.  W.  DOUBLEDAY 


Press  of 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
New  York 


PREFACE. 


IN  this  narration  of  events  that,  in  their 
day,  attracted  a  large  share  of  the  atten- 
tion of  the  civilized  world,  some  criticism  of 
the  acts  of  a  very  remarkable  man  is  neces- 
sarily included.  Entertaining,  as  I  did,  a 
warm  personal  attachment  for  General  Walker, 
whose  character  was  singularly  free  from  the 
petty  traits  and  vices  of  ordinary  men,  and  a 
high  admiration  for  his  splendid  courage,  I 
was,  nevertheless,  opposed  to  the  course  he 
adopted  in  the  affairs  of  Central  America. 

My  own  somewhat  Quixotic  espousal  of 
the  "  people's  cause,"  as  it  was  called,  was 
prompted  by  youthful  enthusiasm  for  that 
most  fallacious  of  human  illusions,  popular 
liberty,  and  antedated  Walker's  appearance  in 
the  field  by  more  than  a  year.  During  that 
time  suffering  and  privation  had  only  intensi- 
fied my  desire  to  see  the  people  freed  from 
the  tyranny  of  a  dominant  ecclesiasticism. 

Hi 


iv      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

When  Colonel  Walker's  plans — confiden- 
tially unfolded  to  me,  as  hereafter  related— 
were  understood  to  include  the  ideas  of  con- 
quest and  absolute  empire,  I  begged  leave  to 
withdraw  from  the  enterprise.  He  persuaded 
me,  however,  to  accept  instead,  an  indefinite 
leave  of  absence.  My  return  to  him  in  his 
days  of  disaster  only  proves  that  my  sympathies 
were  stronger  than  my  ethical  sensibilities. 

Should  my  plain  criticism  in  any  way  offend 
those  survivors  of  that  heroic  episode  who  en- 
tertain unqualified  admiration  for  their  chief, 
they  will,  I  trust,  after  this  explanation,  credit 
me  at  least  with  honesty  of  purpose. 

As  for  the  opprobrious  and  unjust  appella- 
tion "  Filibuster,"  which  attaches  to  Walker's 
name  and  to  that  of  his  adherents,  and  which, 
while  denying  its  appropriateness,  I  have 
adopted  in  these  memoirs,  I  have  explained 
its  origin  and  cause  further  on. 

Whatever  stigma  unjustly  attaches  to  it  was 
shared  by  valued  comrades,  whose  bones  will 
not  on  that  account  rest  less  peacefully  be- 
neath the  soil  of  their  adoption.  I  would  not, 
by  seeking  to  deny  the  consequences,  seem  to 
avoid  complicity  in  their  acts,  but  would  rather 
emphasize,  by  the  adoption  of  the  term,  my 


Preface.  v 

preference  for  an  association  with   the  mem- 
ories of  heroes. 

The  survivors  of  those  who  exhibited  such 
courage  and  fortitude  in  the  "  Filibuster  "  ex- 
peditions to  Nicaragua,  may  feel  that  in  con- 
nection with  a  narration  of  events  the  names 
of  many  who  so  heroically  participated  should 
be  mentioned.  A  just  attention  to  such  a 
claim  would,  however,  convert  these  personal 
reminiscences  into  an  historical  record,  and 
enlarge  the  book  beyond  the  limits  designed. 
The  attention  of  the  American  reader  is  re- 
spectfully called  by  the  author  to  the  sub- 
stance of  his  remarks  in  the  appendix  ;  relative 
to  the  desirability  of  an  American  inter-oceanic 
canal  across  Nicaragua,  as  a  measure  equally 
demanded  by  the  exigencies  of  commerce,  and 
of  the  national  safety  and  honor. 

C.   W.    DOUBLEDAY. 
CLEVELAND,  O.,  June,  1886. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Voyage  and  arrival  in  the  tropics — A  revolution — La  Demo- 
cracia — Lively  scenes  and  picturesque  adjuncts — Novel 
method  of  landing  ........  I 

CHAPTER  II. 

Bathing  under  difficulties — Lake  Nicaragua — Gorgeous  scenic 
effect  —  A  beautiful  sunrise — Loss  of  baggage  —  Philo- 
sophical reflections — Animated  forest  life — Adventure  with 
monkeys — Recruiting  for  adverse  factions  in  the  same 
town 9 

CHAPTER  III. 

Departure  from  San  Juan — Rum  and  glory — Flattering  recep- 
tion at  Rivas — March  to  Granada — War's  desolation — A 
shot  from  the  enemy — Reception  at  Granada — Contract  for 
military  service — Captain  de  Riflcros  .....  24 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Sharp-shooting — Death  of  Doctor  Peck — Colonel  Don  Mariano 
Mendez — A  Foray  and  its  consequences — Killing  of  prison- 
ers— Burning  a  hacienda — A  perilous  situation  ...  43 

CHAPTER  V. 

Visit  of  the  American  Minister — Truce  declared,  for  the  occa- 
sion only — Major  Dorse's  insidious  treachery — An  affair  in 
the  suburbs — Death  of  Dorse — Cholera  and  other  sickness 
— Radicate's  fiasco — I  form  a  native  company  of  riflemen — 
Assigned  to  the  "post  of  honor  ,  .  ,  ,  6 1 


viii       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE 

Evacuation  of  the  cantonment  at  Granada — Severe  fighting 
and  loss  in  my  company — A  Bongo  cruise  on  Lake  Man- 
agua— An  earthquake — Arrival  at  Leon — Amusements  and 
gayety 78 

CHAPTER  VII. 

El  Tamarinda — Trip  to  Honduras — Return  to  Leon — Arrival 
of  General  Mufios — Vacillating  policy — Advent  of  the 
' '  Filibusters  " — Their  impressions  of  the  country — Jarring 
councils — Military  expedition  to  the  Department  Merid- 
ional— Night  march — Capture  of  enemy's  picket  .  .  94 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Battle  of  Rivas— Retreat  to  San  Juan        .         .         .         .         .117 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Seizure  of  a  Costa  Rican  brig — Burning  of  the  barracks — 
Escape  from  San  Juan — Death  of  Dewey — Dangerous 
navigation — In  a  fishing-smack — On  the  sick  list — Pre- 
parations for  another  expedition  .....  138 

CHAPTER  X. 

Departure  of  the  second  expedition — Narrow  escape  of  Colonel 
Ramirez — Land  at  San  Juan — March  out  to  meet  the 
enemy — Battle  of  Virgin  Bay — Visions  of  empire — I  ob- 
tain a  furlough  .........  155 

CHAPTER  XL 

Quiet  of  home  life — Review  of  the  acts  of  Colonel  Walker — His 
successes  [and  subsequent  reverses — My  return  to  Central 
America — British  interference — Operations  on  the  River 
San  Juan— Blown  up — Return  to  the  United  States  .  .170 


Contents.  ix 

CHAPTER  XII. 

PAGE 

The  Americans  beleaguered  in  Rivas — Accept  terms  from  the 
enemy — They  leave  Nicaragua — Subsequent  efforts  at  re- 
turn— Tried  for  violation  of  the  neutrality  laws — Acquitted 
— An  expedition  from  Mobile — Evading  the  revenue  cutter 
— "Over  the  blue  waters" — A  shipwreck — Rescued — Life 
on  a  coral  island — Return  to  Mobile — Take  leave  of 
Walker — His  subsequent  expedition  and  death  .  .  .192 

Appendix 219 


CHAPTER    I. 

Voyage  and  arrival  in  the  tropics — A  revolution — La  Democracia — 
Lively  scenes  and  picturesque  adjuncts — Novel  method  of  landing. 

"  What  is  a  man, 

If  his  chief  good  and  market  of  his  time 
Be  but  to  sleep  and  feed  ?  " 

IN  the  early  spring  of  the  year  1854  I  had 
taken  a  trip  from  the  mining  camps  on 
the  Tuolumne  River  down  to  San  Francisco. 

I  had  been  among  the  earliest  invaders  of 
those  sylvan  solitudes,  which  the  aura  sacra 
fames  had  converted  from  the  peaceful  abode 
of  the  acorn-  and  root-eating  Digger  Indian  to 
that  of  the  pork-  and  hard-tack-subsisting  min- 
er, the  pioneer  band,  usually  composed  of  the 
nomadic  pike,  or  still  more  gypsy-like  Gambu- 
sino  from  the  Mexican  State  of  Sonora. 

To  have  a  glimpse  of  the  unaccustomed 
life  of  the  city  was  the  only  reason  for  leaving 
my  beloved  haunts  "  'neath  the  greenwood 
tree,"  and,  as  the  hurry  and  activity  of  city  life 
was  sure  to  pall  upon  me  in  a  very  short  time, 


2  ,      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

I  took  care  to  see  all  that  might  interest  me  as 
quickly  as  possible.  With  this  end  in  view,  the 
morning  after  my  arrival  I  had  wandered 
towards  the  quays,  and  soon  became  interested 
in  watching  the  busy  throng  of  passengers  em- 
barking on  the  Pacific  mail  steamer,  the  smoke 
from  whose  funnels  proclaimed  her  near  de- 
parture for  her  distant  port  over  the  wide  sea. 
She  was  bound  for  San  Juan  del  Sur,  a  port  in 
Nicaragua — a  land  of  the  tropics, — a  land, 
moreover,  where  the  dulcet  language  of  the 
Spaniards,  with  which  I  was  familiar,  was 
spoken,  and  where  the  genius  of  the  do  Ice  far 
niente  presided.  Why  should  not  I,  who  had 
no  ties  to  keep  me  in  any  particular  place, 
subject  only  to  the  whim  of  the  moment,  go 
aboard,  sail  away,  and  wander  among  the  trop- 
ical forests,  as  I  had  already  done  over  those 
vast  regions,  inhabited  by  wild  game  and  wilder 
Indians,  that  lie  between  the  Mississippi  River 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean  ?  Or,  should  Nicaragua 
prove  uncongenial,  I  could  continue  my  way 
to  the  United  States,  and  look  upon  the  faces 
of  loved  parents,  ere  again  returning  to  my 
life  of  mountaineering  and  hunting.  The 
thought  was  quickly  father  to  the  deed,  and 
within  an  hour  I  was  on  board  with  my  worldly 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.        3 

effects.    Very  soon  we  were  careering  over  the 
majestic  bosom  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Voyages  have  been  described  ad  nauseam. 
This  was  by  no  means  my  first,  and  the  usual 
accompaniments  of  sea-sickness,  flying  fish, 
porpoises,  et  id  hoc,  failed  to  interest  me  as 
much  as  did  the  sound  of  the  anchor  chains 
running  through  the  hawse-holes,  proclaiming 
our  arrival  and  anchorage  in  the  Bay  of  San 
Juan. 

The  stoppage  of  the  ceaseless  jar  of  engines 
and  of  the  forging  motion  of  the  vessel  was 
very  welcome,  and  enhanced  the  pleasure  im- 
parted by  the  sounds  wafted  from  the  shore 
through  the  tranquil  air  of  the  early  morning. 

First  the  awakening  gun,  and  then  the  notes 
of  the  reveille,  substantiated  the  expectations, 
excited  by  the  captain  of  the  steamer,  con- 
cerning the  condition  in  which  we  should 
probably  find  the  Transit  Company's  affairs. 
When  he  had  left  this  post  a  month  previously, 
since  which  time  there  had  been  no  oppor- 
tunity to  receive  news  of  the  progress  of  events, 
the  Democratic,  or  people's,  party  in  the  State 
had  resorted  to  arms  in  order  to  seat  the  presi- 
dent-elect. The  president  in  office,  whose 
term  had  expired,  supported  by  the  Church, 


4        The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

whose  policy  he  sustained,  had  refused  to  abdi- 
cate the  office. 

Either  the  exigencies  of  war  or  its  violence 
might  readily  have  necessitated  the  horses  and 
wagons,  by  aid  of  which  we  were  to  obtain 
transport  over  the  twelve  miles  of  road  between 
San  Juan  and  Virgin  Bay,  the  point  of  depar- 
ture for  San  Juan  del  Norte,  or  Grey  town,  on 
the  Atlantic  seaboard.  For  my  part,  so  much 
had  the  captain  interested  me  by  his  account 
of  the  haughty  and  tyrannic  action  of  the  party 
in  power,  backed  by  the  dominating  hierarchy, 
who  sought  to  restrain  the  liberal  measures 
advocated  by  the  people's  champions,  and  of 
the  determination  of  the  latter  to  achieve  their 
liberties  or  suffer  death,  that  I  was  already 
strongly  inclined  to  join  the  Democrats  in  their 
struggle. 

The  arrival  of  the  company's  agent  on  board 
the  steamer  soon  put  us  in  possession  of  all 
the  news.  The  Democrats  had  in  successive 
days'  fighting  forced  their  enemy  back  into  the 
city  of  Granada,  to  the  very  borders  of  the 
lake,  but  their  losses  and  the  severe  wounding* 
of  their  gallant  leader  had  so  crippled  them, 
that  any  attempt  to  force  a  final  issue  at  this 
time  would  have  been  imprudent.  They  had 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.        5 

therefore  gone  into  cantonments  in  the  upper 
end  of  Granada,  known  as  Jalteva.  Each  party 
was  now  busy  in  fortifying  its  respective  posi- 
tion. President  Chamorro,  the  head  of  the 
Church  party,  in  order  to  strengthen  his  hardly 
pressed  army,  had  withdrawn  the  garrison 
which  the  government  usually  kept  at  San 
Juan,  and  the  Democrats,  who  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  public  affairs  from  their  seat 
of  government  at  Leon,  had  promptly  occupied 
the  place,  and  were  prepared  to  protect,  at  all 
hazards,  the  treasure  of  the  Express  Company 
and  the  property  of  the  Transit  Company. 

While  the  agent  was  on  the  deck  of  the 
steamer,  giving  us  this  hasty  account  of  the 
condition  of  things  ashore,  the  brilliant  tropical 
sun  shone  above  the  dense  foliage  that  nearly 
encircled  the  little  town  and  bay,  and  illumi- 
nated with  unusual  splendor — at  least  to  our 
eyes — the  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation,  and 
the  animated  scene  on  the  sunny  beach  a  few 
yards  distant. 

The  semi-monthly  arrival  and  departure  of 
the  steamer  was  for  the  inhabitants  the  event 
to  which  all  intermediate  days  led  up,  the  in- 
tervals between  these  important  crises  being 
mostly  passed  by  them  in  sleep.  Just  now, 


6        The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

however,  owing  to  the  presence  of  the  newly- 
arrived  garrison  of  Democrats,  flushed  with 
victory  and  newly  acquired  power,  the  place 
was  unusually  wide-awake.  As  there  was  no 
wharf  in  this  remote  though  long-established 
port,  a  primitive  method  of  landing  the  passen- 
gers was  resorted  to.  They  were  conveyed  in 
small  boats  from  the  side  of  the  steamer,  as 
near  to  dry  land  as  the  shelving  sands  and  the 
high  surf  would  permit,  and  were  thence  carried 
ashore  upon  the  brown  shoulders  of  the  native 
boatmen.  During  the  transit  funny  mishaps 
were  not  rare.  These  may  be  laid  to  the  frolic- 
some spirit  of  these  darkies,  who,  often  rinding 
themselves  too  heavily  weighted,  or,  again, 
feigning  to  be  choked  by  the  too  tightly  clasp- 
ing arms  of  some  timid  female,  would  lose  their 
balance,  when  porter  and  burden  would  go 
floundering  into  the  limpid  water.  This  per- 
formance always  excited  great  merriment 
among  the  lookers  on,  and  nothing  worse  hap- 
pened to  the  luckless  passenger  than  a  wetting 
in  the  warm  sea-water,  and  possibly  a  tem- 
porary loss  of  temper. 

On  shore,  tents  and  booths  were  erected  for 
the  convenience  of  the  venders  of  breakfasts 
and  aqua  ardiente  al  fresco.  These  were  usu- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.        7 

ally  presided  over  by  females  whose  limpid 
eyes  and  fascinating  smiles,  when  serving 
(^por  ^m  concideracion)  the  susceptible  miner, 
aided  greatly  in  the  disposal  of  the  more  sub- 
stantial viands,  which  were  sought  as  a  wel- 
come change  from  the  steamer  diet. 

For  those  disposed  to  more  ceremonial  and 
expensive  habits,  the  hotels  of  the  town  offered 
a  breakfast  as  elaborate  in  variety,  if  not  in 
cookery,  as  could  be  desired. 

At  the  table  of  one  of  these,  with  a  high- 
sounding  name,  and  furnishing,  as  its  adver- 
tisement set  forth,  "  all  that  the  country 
afforded,"  I  found,  besides  the  usual  hard- 
boiled  eggs  and  harder  chicken,  a  coterie  of 
uniformed  army  officers,  to  whom,  by  the 
kindness  of  the  purser  of  the  steamer,  I  was 
introduced.  When  they  found  that  I  spoke 
their  language  and  was,  moreover,  much  inter- 
ested in  the  popular  cause  for  which  they  were 
contending,  they  became  communicative  about 
the  cause  and  present  status  of  the  war,  adding 
to  the  interest  of  what  they  told  by  that 
charming  politeness  which  is  characteristic  of 
the  educated  Spanish-American. 

The  facility  with  which  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  leave  California  may  have  been  re- 


8        The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

marked ;  it  will,  therefore,  cause  no  surprise 
when  I  record  the  fact  that  I  at  once  decided 
to  remain  and  join  my  fortunes  to  those  of  La 
Democracia,  in  the  efforts  to  establish  by  the 
sword  that  will  of  the  people  which  had  been 
declared  through  the  ballot. 

Little  time  was  left  me  for  carrying  my 
decision  into  effect,  for  the  passengers,  after 
a  few  hours'  delay  at  San  Juan,  mounted 
horses  and  mules,  and  started  on  the  journey 
of  twelve  miles  over  the  transit  road  to  Virgin 
Bay.  The  baggage  had  already  been  forwarded 
to  that  point.  I  wished  to  take  leave  of  my 
fellow-countrymen  and  companions,  albeit  but 
of  a  few  days,  so  I  mounted  the  horse  assigned 
me  and  accompanied  them,  intending  when  the 
baggage  should  be  claimed  at  Virgin  Bay,  as 
we  were  informed  it  was  to  be,  to  withdraw 
mine  and  return  thence  to  San  Juan.  I  had 
been  told  that  here  might  be  picked  up  a  scat- 
tered number  of  Europeans  and  Americans, 
who  might  be  induced  by  the  offer  of  good 
pay  and  adventure  to  join  the  Democratic 
army  at  Granada. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Bathing  under  difficulties — Lake  Nicaragua — Gorgeous  scenic  effect 
— A  beautiful  sunrise — Loss  of  baggage — Philosophical  reflec- 
tions— Animated  forest  life — Adventure  with  monkeys — Recruit- 
ing for  adverse  factions  in  the  same  town. 

THE  greater  part  of  the  journey  to  Virgin 
Bay  was  over  the  beautifully  graded  road 
made  by  the  new  Transit  Company  through 
the  tropical  forest.  As  I  accompanied  the  rude 
and  boisterous  passengers — made  more  noisy 
by  the  liberal  potations  of  aguadiente  imbibed 
at  San  Juan,  and  their  freedom  from  the  re- 
straint of  life,  a  necessity  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  ship, — I  consoled  myself  by  ob- 
serving the  extreme  beauty  and  tranquillity  of 
the  woods,  with  the  lovely  parasitical  plants, 
climbing,  trailing,  swinging,  on  each  side  of 
the  way,  the  bright  sunlight  darting  between 
their  leaves  and  casting  shadows  of  arabesque 
pattern  before  and  all  about  me. 

I  promised   myself  further   pleasure  in  all 
this  beauty  when  I  should  retrace  my  steps  in 


io      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

solitude  to  San  Juan.  At  Virgin  Bay  a  re- 
newal of  the  dissipation  of  San  Juan  was  in 
order.  I  presented  the  remainder  of  my  first- 
class  cabin  ticket  to  a  friend  of  former  days- 
Mr.  Gibbs  George,  of  Fulton,  Missouri  (I 
wonder  if  he  is  yet  alive  and  remembers  the 
occurrence),  and  was  not  sorry  to  see  the  boat 
leave  the  wharf,  about  midnight,  freighted  with 
my  turbulent  fellow-voyagers.  The  fatigue  of 
a  day  of  such  diverse  and  arduous  experiences 
soon  dissipated  the  slight  sensation  of  loneli- 
ness which  accompanied  me  to  the  hard  couch 
assigned  me  at  the  rather  squalid  hotel. 

No  amount  of  exhaustion,  however,  could 
long  withstand  the  combined  attack  of  the 
myriad  of  fleas  with  which  the  bed  was  infested, 
and,  after  a  restless  night,  I  arose  with  the  first 
streak  of  dawn,  and  wended  my  way  through 
the  now  silent  and  deserted  street  to  the 
shore  of  the  lake.  My  purpose  was  to  seek 
relief  from  the  soreness  inflicted  by  my  tor- 
mentors, by  a  bath  in  the  limpid  water.  The 
pleasure  and  relief  which  I  had  hoped  to  de- 
rive from  the  bath  were  checked  when,  after  my 
first  plunge,  I  observed  an  attendance  of  large 
and  repulsive-looking  fish.  Seeing  a  female 
of  mahogany-colored  complexion  in  the  act  of 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      \  I 

filling  an  earthern  jar  with  water  near  by,  I 
asked  her  what  kind  of  fish  they  were.  "  They 
are  sharks,"  she  replied,  "and  they  will  eat  you 
if  you  do  not  come  out  of  the  water." 

I  stood  not  on  the  order  of  my  going, 
and  learned  afterwards  that  the  sharks  came 
up  the  San  Juan  River  from  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  into  this  large  inland  lake.  The  possi- 
bility of  finding  them  in  fresh  water  had  not 
before  occurred  to  me.  As  I  was  about  to 
retrace  my  steps  to  the  hotel,  the  peculfar 
brilliancy  of  the  tropical  sunrise  arrested  my 
attention.  In  the  background,  on  what  seemed 
to  be  the  farther  shore  of  Lake  Nicaragua,  a 
serrated  ridge  of  extinct  volcanic  peaks  stood 
up  in  the  clear  ether ;  the  sunlight,  streaming 
from  behind  and  between  them,  irradiated  the 
landscape  without  dazzling  the  eye  of  the  be- 
holder. The  grandeur  of  these  giant  volcanoes, 
and  their  power  of  projection  upon  the  vision, 
was  startling.  They  caused  comparatively  dis- 
tant objects  to  seem  as  near  as  those  close  at 
hand.  Out  of  the  centre  of  the  tranquil  lake, 
which  occupied  the  foreground,  the  cone  of 
the  extinct  volcano  Ometepec  rose  straight  up 
in  the  form  of  an  obelisk,  and  with  approxi- 
mate symmetry.  Its  side  and  base  down  to 


12      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  water  were  draped  in  the  exuberant 
foliage  of  the  tropics,  while  its  tapering  bare 
gray  summit  towered  to  the  skies.  No  move- 
ment except  the  flicker  produced  by  the  sun- 
light on  the  slightly  rippling  surface  of  the  lake 
disturbed  the  grand  solemnity  of  the  view. 
The  general  effect,  in  the  clear  atmosphere,  of 
the  grouping  of  such  mountains  I  have  no- 
where seen  equalled,  except  among  the  snow- 
capped ranges  of  Switzerland,  and  these, 
though  not  less  grand  than  the  Nicaraguan 
chains,  are  of  a  wholly  different  type,  are  sur- 
rounded by  a  different  atmosphere,  and  clothed 
with  a  different  vegetation.  I  turned  from  the 
lovely  panorama  with  regret,  once  more  to 
plunge  into  the  business  of  life,  with  its  tur- 
moils and  disappointments. 

On  presenting  my  baggage-check  at  the 
office  of  the  company,  I  was  informed  that  in 
consequence  of  the  general  inebriety  of  the 
passengers,  many  of  whom  were  in  no  condi- 
tion to  see  to  their  effects,  it  had  been  deemed 
best  to  forward  all  the  baggage  to  the  Atlantic 
steamer.  No  telegraph  existed  in  those  days, 
so  I  could  not  reclaim  mine  on  this  side  of  the 
company's  offices  in  New  York.  This  was  a 
severe  blow  to  me.  I  had  a  handful  of  loose 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      13 

coin  in  my  pocket,  but  the  few  hundred  dollars 
I  possessed,  with  some  valuable  gold  speci- 
mens, and  a  very  good  outfit  of  clothing,  were 
in  my  trunk.  No  legal  relief  was  to  be  had. 
As  expostulation  was  unavailing,  I  turned  on 
my  heel  and  left  the  office.  I  have  never 
heard  what  became  of  my  effects.  Drunkenness 
has  never  been  among  my  sins,  but  I  had  to  suf- 
fer for  the  faults  of  others,  and  trust  to  what 
Mr.  Emerson  would  designate  the  law  of  com- 
pensation in  human  affairs  for  balancing  the 
account. 

After  paying  my  bill  at  the  hotel,  and  pur- 
chasing a  quantity  of  fruit  and  cooked  viands 
in  the  market,  which  I  tied  in  my  handker- 
chief, and  seeing  that  my  revolver  was  proper- 
ly loaded,  I  threw  over  my  shoulders  the  light 
scrape,  or  blanket,  of  which  my  camping  habits 
had  taught  me  the  value,  and  leisurely  began 
to  retrace  my  previous  day's  journey  through 
the  woods  to  San  Juan.  Having  gone  far 
enough  to  secure  quiet  and  isolation,  I  seated 
myself  in  the  shade  of  a  gigantic  seiba  tree, 
near  the  bank  of  a  rippling  stream,  and  ate  my 
breakfast  amid  the  forest  solitudes,  undisturbed 
by  the  thought  of  my  limited  pecuniary  re- 
sources. I  had  rather  more  than  the  tradi- 


14      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

tional  twenty-five  cents  with  which  self-made 
men  have  founded  their  fortunes  when  they 
crossed  their  Rubicon.  Health  and  that  confi- 
dence of  youth  which  I  had  trusted  before,  in 
more  forlorn  situations,  sufficed,  with  a  philo- 
sophic disposition,  to  enable  me  to  dismiss  all 
care. 

To  the  dreamer  of  pantheistic  proclivities 
there  is,  indeed,  a  solace  and  affinity  in  nature, 
breathing  of  a  presence  dim  and  shadowy,  con- 
nected by  mysterious  yet  sympathetic  chords 
with  the  human  organism.  Science  vainly 
strives  to  analyze  such  feelings,  and  as  vainly 
bids  us  ignore  them.  In  such  moments  we 
seem  to  grasp  a  remote  past  of  our  being. 
Sensation  and  the  trivial  surroundings  of  daily 
life  are  for  the  time  disregarded  ;  the  poten- 
tialities of  existence  seem  to  have  expelled  the 
myriad  petty  worries  of  ordinary  life,  and  we 
find  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  that  myste- 
rious Nirvana — source  of  past  and  final  rest. 

In  such  musings,  congenial  to  my  habits  of 
thought  from  earliest  youth,  though  sadly  out 
of  joint  with  the  practical  spirit  of  the  times,  I 
passed  many  hours  in  this  tranquil  spot,  until 
the  slanting  beams  of  the  sun  warned  me  that 
my  journey  was  nearly  all  before  me.  As  I 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      15 

had  determined  to  sleep  in  the  woods,  in  order 
to  enter  San  Juan  and  pass  the  military  out- 
post by  day,  instead  of  by  night,  I  proceeded 
leisurely  on  my  way.  I  encountered  no  human 
being,  but  in  no  wise  lacked  company,  and  of 
a  very  animated  kind.  My  foot-falls  made 
very  little  noise,  and  as  the  various  native  den- 
izens of  this  vast  tropical  forest  were  seldom 
molested  by  the  native  people,  I  found  the 
trees  full  of  gayly-plumaged  macaws,  parrots, 
and  various  other  birds  whose  names  I  did 
not  know.  Rolling  in  the  gravel  of  the  road, 
or  digging  among  the  roots  by  the  wayside,  I 
observed  many  of  the  kinds  of  animals  which 
I  had  hitherto  only  seen  through  the  bars  of 
cages  in  travelling  menageries  or  shows.  Ar- 
madillos, ant-eaters,  the  guatuso,  peccaries,  or 
wild  hogs,  and  many  other  kinds  I  passed,  in- 
tent usually  on  seeking  their  evening  meal ; 
while  the  monkeys  seemed  to  rise  from  the 
earth  and  fill  the  tree-tops  every  step  of  the 
way.  These  monkeys  alone  seemed  to  pay 
any  attention  to  my  passage  over  the  road, 
chattering  and  using  threatening  gestures,  ludi- 
crous considering  the  panic  of  fear  that  fol- 
lowed any  assumed  aggressive  action  of  mine. 
As  the  sun,  sinking  behind  the  tree-tops, 


1 6      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

warned  me  of  the  approach  of  night,  I  found 
myself  crossing  a  little  rustic  bridge,  thrown 
over  a  clear  stream,  on  the  farther  bank  of 
which  I  descried  what  on  investigation  proved 
to  be  the  remains  of  a  woodman's  cabin.  In 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  the  trees  had 
been  cleared  away,  probably,  in  part,  for  the 
construction  of  the  bridge  and  hut,  which  lat- 
ter, though  deficient  in  roof  or  door,  was  not 
to  be  despised  as  a  kind  of  fortress.  The  four 
walls  opposed  a  barrier  against  any  possible 
sudden  inroads  of  wild  beasts ;  besides  that, 
the  fire-place,  and  the  four  posts,  over  which 
a  stretched  bullock's  hide  still  remained,  might 
be  counted  as  a  fair  preliminary  preparation 
for  fire,  light,  and  a  bed.  I  soon  collected 
a  quantity  of  dried  wood,  and  improvised  a 
barricade  for  the  door-way.  Then,  as  my  la- 
bors and  my  walk  of  about  eight  miles  had 
somewhat  fatigued  me,  I  determined  before 
climbing  over  the  wall,  to  bathe  in  the  limpid 
pool  near  the  bridge. 

While  engaged  in  putting  the  cabin  in  a  con- 
dition for  defence,  I  had  noticed  that  my  pro- 
ceedings had  been  watched  with  apparent  inter- 
est by  an  ever-increasing  throng  of  monkeys. 
As  I  threw  my  clothing  on  the  bank,  taking  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      17 

precaution,  acquired  by  long  habit  rather  than 
any  apparent  need  at  the  present  time,  of 
placing  my  revolver  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree 
that  overhung  the  pool,  I  saw  that  there  was  a 
growing  disposition  on  the  part  of  my  simian 
neighbors  to  an  aggressiveness  that  their  num- 
bers might  make  formidable.  The  divesture 
of  the  distinctive  badge  for  which  we  are  in- 
debted to  the  tailor,  increased  their  boldness, 
and  I  had  been  in  the  water  only  a  few  mo- 
ments when  a  long-legged  miscreant,  volubly 
chattering  with  his  comrades,  advanced,  seized 
part  of  my  clothing,  and  lost  no  time  in  mak- 
ing off  with  it.  This  was  indeed  depriving 
me,  like  Sampson  of  old,  of  my  chief  source  of 
strength,  for,  in  puris  naturalibus,  I  was  evi- 
dently regarded  as  merely  some  stray  Dryo- 
pithecus  of  a  Miocene  age,  insignificant  from 
the  remoteness  of  my  consanguinity.  The 
situation  had  become  rather  critical.  Taking 
steady  aim  at  the  thief  as  he  paused  at  the 
first  branch  of  the  tree  he  was  climbing,  I 
fired,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  my 
shirt  fall  to  the  ground,  while  the  wounded 
monkey,  with  alternate  howls  of  fear  and 
screams  of  pain  and  rage,  vainly  attempted  to 
get  out  of  my  reach,  Thanks  to  his  broken 


1 8      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

shoulder,  I  quickly  recovered  my  garment  and, 
investing  myself  therein,  my  confidence  was 
restored.  Indeed,  the  cowardly  gang  had 
fled  at  the  sound  of  the  discharge,  and 
the  succeeding  lamentations  of  their  com- 
rade, whose  grotesque  appeals  and  threats 
gave  me  a  good  deal  of  amusement  as  well  as 
food  for  reflection.  I  believe  it  was  my  sus- 
picion of  a  common  humanity  that  induced  me 
to  offer  him  no  further  molestation,  though  I 
had  not  at  that  time  read  Darwin.  In  this 
tropical  latitude  night  quickly  succeeded  day. 
The  stars  shone  brilliantly  above  my  roofless 
dwelling,  but  I  sat  long  by  the  companionable 
fire  reading  by  its  light  the  fascinating  pages 
of  an  odd  volume  of  "  Monte  Christo,"  which 
I  had  retained  among  my  meagre  possessions. 
After  I  had  laid  this  aside  and  been  sleep- 
ing some  hours,  I  was  awakened  by  a  combi- 
nation of  howls  and  screechings  which  would 
have  done  honor  to  a  tribe  of  wild  Indians. 
Happily  it  was  nothing  more  serious  than  the 
"  baying "  to  the  newly  risen  moon,  or  my 
flickering  firelight,  of  the  forest  denizens. 
Loudest  and  most  portentous  of  danger  was 
the  voice  of  the  Mono  Colorado,  an  exceed- 
ingly ferocious  species  of  monkey,  usually  in- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      19 

habiting  mountainous  districts.  I  arose  and 
threw  more  wood  on  the  fire,  then,  trusting 
to  my  walls  and  the  monkey's  fear  of  the  blaze 
as  obstacles  to  aggression,  I  soon  again  yielded 
to  fatigue,  and  slept  until  the  sunbeams  pene- 
trating between  the  logs  of  my  hut  awoke  me. 
The  remains  of  the  stores  I  had  provided  on 
setting  out  furnished  me  with  sufficient  break- 
fast, and  with  renewed  strength  and  hope  I 
took  up  my  way.  An  hour's  walk  brought 
me  to  the  bridge  crossing  the  little  river  a  mile 
outside  of  San  Juan.  Here,  on  the  journey 
to  Virgin  Bay  we  had  seen  the  half-clad 
lavaderas  of  San  Juan  in  picturesque  groups, 
smoking  their  cigaritos  and  chaffing  the  re- 
turning passengers  while  resting  from  their 
labor  of  washing.  Here  also,  where  partial 
openings  in  the  wood  had  admitted  the  sun- 
light, the  flowering  plants  were  most  abundant 
and  various.  An  apparently  endless  network 
of  vines  and  interlacing  branches  of  trees 
formed  an  arbor  over  the  devious  stream. 
Flower  and  leaf  seemed  to  drape  every  thing 
but  the  silvery  water  rippling  over  its  brown 
pebbly  bed.  Conspicuous  amid  the  green 
foliage  the  deep  blue  flower  of  the  indigo 
plant  and  the  variously  colored  convolvulus 


2O      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

had  established  themselves,  the  latter  climbing 
along  and  over  any  thing  that  offered  a  sup- 
port for  its  tendrils. 

Amid  this  exuberance  of  tropic  growth,  the 
brilliant-plumaged  and  numberless  macaws,  par- 
rots, parroquets,  and  an  endless  variety  of 
other  birds  whose  names  were  unknown  to 
me,  flitted  to  and  fro,  chattering  in  apparent 
enjoyment,  and  fearless  of  molestation  in  these 
their  native  haunts.  I  left  the  spot  regret- 
fully, and  with  it  the  seclusion  I  had  enjoyed. 

Now  from  a  slight  eminence  I  saw  before 
me  the  town  of  San  Juan,  and  the  shimmering 
expanse  of  the  blue  ocean,  along  whose  shores, 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  stretched  the  heavy 
green  drapery  of  tropical  foliage.  A  brief 
question  or  two  by  the  guard  sufficed  as  pass- 
port to  the  town,  where  I  at  once  established 
myself  at  one  of  the  principal  hotels,  and  be- 
gan canvassing  among  the  foreign  residents 
for  recruits  with  which  to  form  a  company  for 
the  service  of  El  Ejercito  Democratico.  I  very 
soon  found  that  I  was  not  alone  in  this,  to  me, 
novel  employment.  A  "  Major  Dorse,"  of 
Texas,  and  formerly,  I  believe,  in  the  U.  S. 
army,  was  eloquent  in  setting  forth  the  advan- 
tages to  be  derived  by  a  union  of  interests  with 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      21 

the  party  which  had  the  archives  and  official 
positions  of  the  government  in  their  possession, 
which  had  the  powerful  aid  of  the  Church,  and, 
what  appealed  still  stronger  to  the  sympathies 
of  his  German,  Italian,  and  French  hearers, 
the  revenues  at  their  disposal. 

After  the  passengers  had  left  Virgin  Bay, 
the  Democratic  garrison  of  San  Juan  had  been 
withdrawn,  thus  enabling  us  to  present  the 
unique  spectacle  of  recruiting  in  the  same  town 
for  each  of  the  adverse  factions.  I  found  an 
able  coadjutor  in  "  Don  Augustin,"  a  gentle- 
man of  education  and  means,  from  Ohio, 
whose  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of  the  people 
made  him  willing  to  trust  the  Democratic  gov- 
ernment for  the  necessary  outlay  incurred  in 
organizing  a  company  for  the  service.  Major 
Dorse  was  an  able,  though  unscrupulous,  sol- 
dier, skilled  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  and  some- 
what famous  as  an  artillerist. 

I  could  count  myself  his  equal  with  the  rifle, 
but  lacked  his  gift  of  lying,  for  in  him  this 
faculty  amounted  to  a  gift,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  all  the  good  taste  and  judgment  that 
could  make  it  attractive  to  the  undiscerning. 
He  managed  to  enlist  all  of  those  whose  nation- 
alities my  men  designated  as  foreign,  by  which 


22      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  intelligent  reader  will  readily  recognize  that 
I  had  the  Britons  and  Americans  with  me. 
Although  Dorse's  men  were  nearly  double 
mine  in  point  of  numbers,  I  was  waited  upon 
by  a  delegation  of  jolly  tars,  who  asked  per- 
mission to  begin  the  campaign  by  cleaning  out 
what  they  termed  "the  bloody  foreigners."  I 
think  it  is  M.  Taine  who  remarks  that  a  Briton 
always  deems  the  place  where  he  is  as  his  home, 
and  the  other  people  foreigners.  It  took  all 
my  persuasive  powers  to  make  these  unedu- 
cated men  understand  the  difference  between 
legalized  warfare  and  vulgar  throat-cutting. 
Quien  sabe  f  as  the  Spaniard  hath  it. 

Being  fairly  embarked  in  the  narrative  of 
this  war  of  factions,  I  will,  in  the  next  chapter, 
endeavor  to  give  some  idea  of  the  questions 
at  issue,  which  by  the  leaders  of  the  people 
were  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  justify 
the  revolution  inaugurated  by  them.  I  have 
no  justification  to  offer,  for  my  own  part,  in  the 
war,  for  the  days  of  chivalric  sentiment  are 
gone  by,  and  even  youthful  ardor  is  not  so  ex- 
travagant as  it  used  to  be.  "  Peace  has  its  vic- 
tories as  well  as  war,"  but  I  have  sometimes 
thought,  as  I  watched  young  men  intent  upon 
the  tape  recording  the  fluctuations  of  stocks, 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      23 

involving  perhaps  risks  as  great  as  those  of  the 
battle-field,  that  life  for  them,  though  not  de- 
void of  hazard  and  excitement,  would  never 
yield  those  supreme  moments  that  lift  men 
above  petty  personal  cares. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Departure  from  San  Juan — Rum  and  glory — Flattering  reception  at 
Rivas — March  to  Granada — War's  desolation — A  shot  from  the 
enemy — Reception  at  Granada — Contract  for  military  service — 
Capitan  de  Riflcros. 

"  To  the  wars,  my  boys,  to  the  wars  ! 
He  keeps  his  honor  in  a  box  unseen 
Who  hugs  his  kicksey-wicksey  here  at  home. " 

THE  causes  which  led  to  a  resort  to  arms 
for  a  settlement  of  the  differences  ex- 
isting between  the  two  political  parties  in  Nic- 
aragua in  the  year  1854,  are  the  same  as  those 
inspiring  nearly  all  the  prononciamentos  which 
so  frequently  disturb  the  tranquillity  of  the 
Spanish-American  governments. 

The  descendants  of  the  hidalgos,  who  in  the 
"  good  old  days"  conquered  the  fertile  provinces 
of  the  New  World  and  governed  them  in  the 
name  of  Mother  Church  and  for  the  benefit  of 
themselves  and  the  Spanish  crown,  lost,  in  a 
great  measure,  their  occupation  when  the  colo- 
nies became  independent,  for  under  representa- 
tive forms  of  government  power  had  to  be  sought 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      25 

through  the  ballot,  not  through  the  favor  of  a 
single  arbitrary  sovereign.  This  often  resulted 
in  the  elevation  to  office  of  men  who,  in  court- 
ing popular  favor  and  administering  to  the 
mass  of  the  people,  necessarily  infringed  on  the 
self-established  prerogatives  of  the  aforesaid 
hidalgos  and  of  the  Church.  The  former,  ac- 
customed to  consider  the  offices  of  the  state  as 
theirs  by  right,  and  the  latter,  always  in  alliance 
with  those  wielding  the  power  and  disbursing 
the  revenues,  viewed  with  disapproval  the  new 
order  of  things.  Old-established  customs  were 
often  abolished  ;  laws  were  passed  ameliorat- 
ing the  condition  of  the  people — that  is,  freed 
them  from  burdens  imposed  in  the  interests  of 
the  seigniors  and  the  hierarchy.  These  meas- 
ures, always  received  with  dislike  by  the  classes 
referred  to,  were  in  this  instance  opposed  in 
anticipation  by  President  Chamorro,  the  magis- 
trate in  office,  who,  relying  on  the  support  of 
the  clergy  and  his  possession  of  the  archives 
and  various  appurtenances  of  government,  to- 
gether with  his  command  of  the  army,  caused 
President-elect  Don  Francisco  Castellon  to  be 
seized,  and,  with  his  most  influential  friends, 
to  be  conveyed  to  the  Honduras  frontier.  The 
action  was  justified  by  a  decree  of  banishment. 


26      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

procured  with  ease  by  the  party  in  power,  who, 
on  the  plea  of  military  necessity,  could  manip- 
ulate the  constitution  to  please  themselves. 

Castellon  found  ready  sympathy  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic president  of  Honduras,  and  could  easily 
have  obtained  through  him  both  men  and 
money.  Preferring,  however,  to  rely  on  his 
own  people  and  the  justice  of  his  cause,  he 
boldly  returned  with  his  friends  to  his  native 
city  of  Leon,  where  he  received  a  complete 
ovation,  and  was  at  once  installed  by  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Occidental  Department  as 
President  of  the  Republic.  Knowing,  from  the 
attitude  of  the  Church  party,  that  one  course 
only  was  open  to  him,  he  lost  no  time  in  or- 
ganizing a  volunteer  army,  at  the  head  of 
which  he  placed  the  valiant  General  Don 
Maximo  Jerez,  the  same  who  of  late  years,  and 
until  his  death,  represented  Nicaragua  at 
Washington. 

Jerez  met  the  enemy  at  Managua,  the  seat 
of  government,  and  in  a  series  of  engagements 
pressed  them  back  to  Granada.  Chamorro 
had  provided  for  his  final  stand  in  that  city  by 
the  transmission  thither  of  the  archives  and 
military  stores,  by  fortifying  the  plaza,  and  by 
collecting  within  the  harbor  the  various  craft 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      27 

which  plied  on  the  lake.  By  this  last  stroke 
he  commanded  the  rich  cattle  estates  of  the 
Chontales  district  on  the  opposite  shore,  and 
could  furnish  his  commissariat  with  supplies, 
otherwise  difficult  with  an  enemy  in  front  of 
him.  His  situation,  outside  of  these  advan- 
tages, was  well  chosen.  The  barrier  of  the  lake 
prevented  the  desertion  of  his  troops,  many  of 
whom  were  forced  levies,  while  the  Democrats, 
in  following  him,  were  placing  a  greater  distance 
between  themselves  and  Leon,  whence  they  de- 
rived most  of  their  supplies  of  men  and  means. 
He  was  thus  better  prepared  to  contest  the 
issue  than  if  he  had  kept  to  the  open  countryv 
The  Democrats,  full  of  ardor  and  inspired 
by  the  justice  of  a  cause  which  was  manifestly 
a  resistance  of  oppression,  pressed  after  their 
enemies,  whom,  in  consequence  of  their  as- 
sumption of  a  kind  of  right  divine  to  govern, 
they  had  nicknamed  the  "  Legitimists,"  and 
would  have  sought  a  final  issue  in  Granada  by 
attempting  to  force  the  fortifications  of  the 
plaza  ;  but  General  Jerez,  as  wise  as  he  was 
brave,  foresaw  the  futility  of  such  an  attempt. 
His  troops  were  in  an  exhausted  condition,  he 
himself  temporarily  incapacitated  by  a  severe 
wound,  ancUit  was  plain  that  the  enemy  had 


28      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

deliberately  planned  and  strengthened  them- 
selves for  such  an  emergency. 

The  Democrats,  therefore,  on  their  side, 
barricaded  and  loop-holed  the  self-same  walls 
and  houses  that  formed  a  barrier  for  their 
enemies,  and  in  this  close  juxtaposition  pre- 
pared for  recuperation  and  further  conflict. 

It  was  at  this  crisis  that  I  arrived  and  joined 
my  fortunes,  as  already  recorded,  with  the 
Democracia,  or  party  of  the  people. 

It  was  a  relief  to  me,  as  I  am  sure  it  was  to 
Major  Dorse,  when  he  was  at  last  able  to  extri- 
cate his  men  from  the  influence  of  the  rum 
shops  of  San  Juan  and  the  risk  of  collision  with 
my  party.  The  day  after  his  departure  we 
began  our  march  for  Granada,  intending  to  go 
as  far  as  the  town  of  Rivas,  distant  about 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  San  Juan,  being 
the  capital  of  this,  the  meridional  department 
of  the  state,  and  garrisoned  at  the  present 
time  by  the  Democrats. 

We  had  been  directed  to  call  upon  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  town,  Don  Justo  Lugo,  from 
whom  we  expected  to  receive  the  necessary 
arms  and  equipments  with  which  to  protect 
ourselves  in  traversing  the  debatable  ground 
between  that  city  and  Granada. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     29 

Our  first  day's  march  was  not  quite  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  military  rules  for  the  conduct 
of  a  march  in  an  enemy's  country.  First,  the 
men  had,  with  singular  unanimity,  adopted 
the  notion  that  a  parting  call  at  the  whiskey 
shops  was  a  necessary  preliminary  to  a  good 
start.  Though  their  farewell  potations  doubt- 
less gave  an  impetus  to  the  forward  move- 
ment, they  caused  a  divergence  from  a  straight 
line,  which  was  not  even  partially  corrected  un- 
til we  got  beyond  the  last  pulperia  of  the  town. 
Don  Augustin  was  very  much  scandalized  at 
such  behavior  on  the  part  of  men  embarked  in 
a  cause  so  sacred  as  that  of  ours.  I  managed, 
however,  to  excuse  them  to  him,  and  promised 
better  conduct  as  soon  as  we  should  have 
competent  authority  for  restraining  them. 

To  Don  Augustin  I  had  willingly  accorded 
the  nominal  leadership  of  the  party,  acting 
myself  as  his  lieutenant ;  the  place  was  but 
a  fair  recognition  of  his  ample  disbursements  of 
money  for  the  cause.  But  I  quickly  perceived 
that  whatever  mantle  of  authority  was  in  the 
future  to  be  used  in  the  subjection  of  these 
rude  natures,  would  fall  on  my  shoulders.  It 
was  not  that  my  experience  in  commanding 
men  was  greater,  but  that  I  could  adapt  my- 


30      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

self  more  readily  to  the  emergencies  sure  to 
arise.  Years  of  adventurous  experience  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  early  California  placers 
had  inured  me  to  the  exigencies  of  a  life  where 
eternal  vigilance  and  promptitude  of  action 
could  alone  offer  any  guaranty  of  safety.  I 
therefore,  without  effort  or  straining  of  author- 
ity, directed  whenever  it  was  necessary,  leav- 
ing to  Don  Augustin  the  honor  of  leading  the 
cavalcade  whenever  the  spectacular  effect  was 
paramount. 

That  authority  was  most  needed  on  this 
march  will  be  obvious  to  the  reader  who  has 
ever  seen  a  party  of  sailors  on  horseback  at 
the  end  of  a  spree. 

By  the  time  we  reached  the  precincts  of 
Rivas,  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day's 
march,  the  men  presented  a  more  orderly  ap- 
pearance. We  marched  to  the  presidio  with 
some  degree  of  order,  escorted  by  a  gayly 
caparisoned  troop  of  lancers  who  had  been 
sent  out  to  honor  our  entry.  A  throng  of 
people  had  assembled  in  the  plaza  in  front  of  the 
government  residence,  for  the  news  of  the  ac- 
cession of  a  body  of  "  valiant  American  sharp- 
shooters "  to  the  cause  of  the  people  had  not 
been  permitted  to  go  unheralded. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      31 

I  was  well  contented  to  let  Don  Augustin 
be  the  hero  of  the  occasion,  for  the  truth  is,  I 
was  a  little  ashamed  of  the  appearance  of  our 
squad,  though  I  had  no  doubt  of  their  doing 
efficient  service  whenever  occasion  should  re- 
quire it.  The  occasion,  however,  was  not  with- 
out a  certain  solemnity  and  pathos,  for  this 
revolution  was  a  supreme  effort  of  an  oppressed 
people  to  throw  off  the  shackles  of  authority 
that  had  long  restricted  their  just  rights,  and 
the  interest  and  exultation  they  manifested  at 
this  espousal  of  their  cause  by  strangers  from 
over  the  sea,  was  not  without  its  lesson  to  us. 

The  governor,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  wel- 
comed us  in  Spanish,  and  then  said  that  his 
adjutant  would  more  intelligently  convey  his 
thanks.  At  the  same  time  he  motioned  to 
an  individual  at  his  side,  whose  remarkable 
appearance  had  called  forth  various  com- 
ments from  the  Americans,  who  had  already 
christened  him  "  Napoleon/'  from  a  fancied 
resemblance  of  costume  to  that  of  the  gray- 
eyed  man  of  destiny.  This  individual,  who, 
by  the  way,  retained  the  nickname  during 
years  of  service  in  connection  with  the  Am- 
ericans in  Nicaragua,  stepped  to  the  front, 
his  long  sword  and  spurs  jingling  as  he 


32      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

moved,  and  bowing  with  extreme  courtliness, 
he  delivered  an  address  of  welcome  in  very 
good  English.  The  substance,  however,  was 
in  true  Spanish  fashion,  full  of  grandiloquent 
phrases,  among  which  I  remember  that  he 
assured  us  we  were  "  worthy  of  acceptance 
as  victims  in  the  cause  of  Nicaraguan  lib- 
erty "  ;  and  that  our  "  heroic  and  martial  ap- 
pearance indicated  that  we  were  eager  to 
sacrifice  ourselves  for  the  sacred  cause,"  etc., 
etc.  Don  Augustin  accepted  the  eulogy  and 
welcome  with  a  gracious  reply.  I  felt  that 
the  affair  was  an  excellent  joke,  especially  the 
part  of  the  speech  referring  to  our  martial 
appearance.  The  conclusion  of  the  speeches 
was  the  signal  for  a  hideous  clang  of  all 
the  church  bells  in  the  town  and  the  simul- 
taneous braying  of  two  or  three  brass  bands, 
after  the  fashion  which  we  subsequently  be- 
came pretty  well  accustomed  to.  I  supposed 
that  the  demonstration  was  all  right,  and, 
though  I  could  not  quite  understand  it,  be- 
gan to  believe  that  we  had  done  something 
meritorious.  The  real  meaning  of  this  bois- 
terous and  exultant  demonstration  had,  as  I 
afterwards  learned,  a  decidedly  practical  end. 
It  was  intended  to  inspire  the  weak-kneed 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     33 

with  an  idea  of  our  strength,  and  to  intimi- 
date the  disaffected. 

Over  and  above  all  this,  our  reception  was 
kind,  and,  after  being  furnished  with  such 
arms  as  the  town  could  provide,  with  author- 
ity from  the  governor  for  using  them,  if  neces- 
sary, in  our  own  defence  while  traversing 
the  country  between  Rivas  and  Granada,  we 
set  forth  the  next  morning  amidst  the  vivas  of 
the  populace. 

For  some  distance  we  wound  along  the 
devious  streets,  bordered  in  places  by  gigan- 
tic columnar  cacti  of  a  century's  growth,  be- 
hind which  stood  the  ancient  and  peaceful 
looking  dwellings.  It  was  difficult  to  realize 
while  threading  these  tranquil  precincts,  that 
our  mission  was  one  of  strife  and  bloodshed. 
When  we  emerged  in  the  open  country,  quiet 
haciendas  and  herds  of  grazing  cattle  met  our 
view.  It  was  still  in  the  early  stage  of  the 
war,  and  the  property  near  to  Rivas  remained 
undisturbed.  At  a  subsequent  period  the 
track  of  war  desolated  these  peaceful  spots. 

We  encamped  for  the  night  at  a  pueblo, 
near  the  shore  of  Lake  Nicaragua,  and,  as 
this  was  ground  foraged  by  both  factions,  the 
landscape  wore  a  different  aspect.  Blackened 


34      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

walls  and  devastated  fields  bore  evidence  to 
the  destructiveness  of  war  and  partisan  hatred. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  village  had  profited  by 
their  experience  in  one  respect  at  least :  they 
carefully  avoided  expressing  either  enthusiasm 
or  enmity  for  us,  not  knowing  what  colored 
ribbons  their  next  visitors  might  display.  In 
their  unprotected  situation  it  was  prudent  to 
give  neither  party  pretext  for  aggression.  The 
next  day's  march  gave  further  evidence,  in  the 
desolated  country,  of  the  ravages  inflicted  by 
civil  war. 

No  sign  of  life  appeared  upon  the  dreary 
waste  of  what,  judging  from  the  remains  of 
farm-houses  and  fallowed  fields,  had  been  the 
abode  of  industry  and  thrift.  About  noon  the 
dull,  ominous  sound  of  cannon-firing  was  waft- 
ed over  the  dreary  expanse  to  our  ears,  and  we 
knew  that  we  were  approaching  Granada. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  towers 
of  the  churches  and  the  higher  buildings  be- 
came visible,  and  as  we  ascended  some  higher 
ground,  Lake  Nicaragua  and  its  opposite 
shore  lay  before  us  ;  still  nearer  the  red-tiled 
roofs  and  white  walls  of  Granada  reflected  the 
rays  of  the  declining  sun. 

After  leaving  Rivas,  when  it  became  neces- 


The  "Fillister"  War  in  Nicaragua.     35 

sary  to  use  precautionary  measures  against  a 
possible  ambush,  I  had  taken  charge  of  the 
men,  and  had  thrown  out  the  necessary  flankers 
to  guard  against  surprise.  One  of  these  now 
rode  to  the  head  of  the  column,  where  I  was 
leading  the  march,  and  reported  the  approach 
of  a  small  troop  of  lancers  with  red  pennons 
fluttering  from  the  staffs  of  their  lances.  Al- 
though the  color  was  that  of  La  Demo- 
cracia,  which  each  of  us  wore  around  our  hats 
and  in  the  form  of  rosettes  on  our  coats,  the 
enemy's  colors  being  white,  I  deemed  it  pru- 
dent to  be  ready  to  receive  those  who  were 
approaching  us  either  as  friends  or  enemies. 
I  therefore  ordered  the  men  to  dismount  and 
leave  their  tired  horses  under  a  small  guard  ; 
then,  taking  an  advantageous  position,  I 
awaited  with  loaded  rifles  the  approach  of  the 
party.  As  soon  as  they  came  within  half  gun- 
shot I  stepped  into  the  road  and  ordered  them 
to  halt.  This  they  did,  and  the  lieutenant  in 
command  rode  up  and  touching  his  cap  po- 
litely, informed  me  in  Spanish  that  the  gen- 
eral had  been  apprised  by  the  governor  of 
Rivas  of  our  approach,  and  had  sent  him  out 
to  escort  us  into  the  cantonment.  The  guide 
whom  Don  Justo  had  furnished  us  at  Rivas 


36      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

identified  the  lieutenant  as  belonging  to  our 
party,  and  we  at  once  followed  under  the  es- 
cort of  his  troop.  As  we  approached  the  city 
more  nearly,  the  peaceful  aspect  which  it  at 
first  presented  was  changed  by  the  appearance 
of  the  muzzles  of  a  number  of  brass  field- 
pieces  protruding  from  improvised  sand-bag 
batteries  in  the  towers  of  two  of  the  churches 
in  the  plaza,  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of  heavier 
guns  being  discernible  in  different  places  in 
the  city. 

The  lieutenant  informed  me  that  as  the 
enemy  had  been  reinforced  the  day  before  by 
a  body  of  foreign  riflemen  and  artillerists,  the 
leader  of  whom  had  already  exhibited  his  skill 
in  the  use  of  the  battery,  which  he  pointed  out, 
in  the  church  tower,  we  might  expect  to  receive 
some  attention  from  the  same  source  while 
passing  over  a  certain  elevated  plateau  on  the 
road  in  advance,  at  which  point,  he  said,  it 
would  be  well  to  increase  our  speed. 

I,  of  course,  assented,  but  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  translate  the  information  for  the 
benefit  of  the  men  and  Don  Augustin,  who, 
now  that  the  escort  had  assumed  our  guidance, 
had  taken  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  column. 

As  we  came  to  the  highest  place  in  the  road 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      37 

the  lieutenant  left  me,  and  dashing  to  the 
head  of  his  lancers  they  scurried  over  the 
ridge  very  quickly.  I  repeated  in  English 
the  order  he  had  given  his  men,  to  gallop, 
taking  at  the  same  time  the  rear  of  the  col- 
umn for  myself.  Most  of  the  men  were 
quickly  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  and  screened 
by  intervening  objects  and  the  dip  in  the 
ground  from  further  danger.  But  while  some 
of  the  rear  files  were  yet  on  the  summit,  I  ob- 
served a  puff  of  white  smoke  issue  from  the 
plaza,  and  a  second  or  two  afterward  a  round 
shot  crashed  through  the  tiles  and  adobes  of  the 
house  beside  which  we  were  riding.  It  passed 
over  our  heads,  struck  the  ground  beyond,  and 
ricochetted  harmlessly  away.  Another  fol- 
lowed, ploughing  the  road  over  which  we  had 
just  passed,  and  then,  we  also  were  sheltered 
from  further  risk,  having  suffered  no  more 
damage  than  a  plentiful  sprinkling  by  frac- 
tured tiles  and  adobes. 

This  was  an  early  initiation  to  our  new  pro- 
fession, which  trie  men  seemed  to  accept  as  an 
excellent  joke.  I  wondered  why  the  lieuten- 
ant had  not  avoided,  by  a  slight  detour,  a 
place  on  which  the  enemy  kept  their  guns 
trained  ;  but  if  the  grinning  natives  of  the 


38      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

escort  expected  to  see  any  timidity,  which 
would  have  been  excusable  among  men  most  of 
whom  had  never  before  heard  the  whistle  of  a 
hostile  shot,  they  must  have  been  disappointed. 

As  we  passed  the  outposts,  I  was  gratified 
by  the  promptness  displayed  in  turning  out  the 
guard,  and  the  precise,  soldierly  observance  of 
those  forms  and  precautions  deemed  necessary 
for  safety  on  such  occasions  by  well-organized 
military  bodies. 

Our  reception  at  head-quarters  was  imposing 
and  kind,  and  we  were  dismissed  to  the  quar- 
ters which  had  been  assigned  us,  amid  the 
ringing  of  bells  and  braying  of  brass  instru- 
ments, intended  to  serve  the  purpose  both  of 
welcoming  us  and  of  striking  "  terror  into  the 
soul  of  Richard,"  on  the  other  side  the  lines. 
Our  men,  however,  evidently  considered  that 
we  were  the  heroes  of  the  occasion,  and  char- 
acteristically responded  by  hastening  to  get 
drunk. 

Don  Augustin  and  myself  were  active  in 
equipping  the  men  and  instructing  them  in  the 
effective  use  of  their  weapons.  As  there  were 
only  twenty  of  them — the  nucleus  of  a  larger 
force,  we  hoped, — drill,  except  in  the  simplest 
movements,  was  dispensed  with. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     39 

The  skill  of  Major  Dorse  as  an  artillerist  was 
much  vaunted,  and  I  found  that  rumor  had 
equally  exaggerated  my  proficiency  in  the  use 
of  the  rifle. 

I  felt  that  the  paramount  duty  of  Don  Au- 
gustin  and  myself,  at  this  time,  was  to  obtain 
suitable  terms  and  conditions  of  service  for  the 
men  and  ourselves.  Otherwise  we  might  find 
our  efficiency  for  the  peculiar  service  required 
of  us  impaired  by  our  subjection  to  the  orders 
of  petty  officers,  whose  commissions  might 
outrank  ours.  I  therefore  urged  Don  Augus- 
tin,  who  spoke  Spanish  very  well,  to  effect 
advantageous  arrangements. 

His  reply  was  that  "  he  came  to  serve  for  the 
honor  and  good  of  the  cause,"  and  that  he  was 
willing  to  accept  the  same  terms  as  those 
granted  to  the  native  army. 

As  I  was  tired  of  working  under  an  imprac- 
ticable commander,  I  declined  to  accede  to  his 
views,  and  several  of  the  more  intelligent  of 
the  men  told  him  bluntly  that  he  was  a  fool, 
an  exaggerated  way  of  expressing  their  opinion 
that  he  was  not  fitted  for  his  present  position. 
I  think  he  recognized  his  incapacity,  and  there- 
fore begged  me  to  do  what  I  thought  best, 
leaving  him  out  of  the  organization. 


4O      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

I  at  once  asked  for  an  audience  with  General 
Jerez.  He  received  me  most  kindly.  He  was 
confined  to  his  couch  by  a  severe  wound,  re- 
ceived in  their  occupation  of  the  Jalteva.  His 
head-quarters  were  in  the  Jalteva  Church,  and 
his  audience-chamber  was  the  large  sacristy  of 
the  edifice.  A  suggestion  of  barbaric  splendor 
was  not  lacking  in  this  improvised  camp  of  a 
soldier. 

The  sacristy  being  protected  somewhat  from 
the  round  shot  of  the  enemy  by  the  body  of 
the  church,  which  fronted  the  plaza,  had  been 
stored  with  fine  pictures  and  the  sacramental 
plate,  and  these  gave  an  air  of  imposing  rich- 
ness and  splendor  to  the  apartment,  in  which 
were  groups  of  richly  uniformed  general  offi- 
cers. On  a  couch,  in  an  alcove,  reclined  the 
commanding  officer.  Those  who  remember 
General  Jerez  in  the  prime  of  his  life  will  recall 
the  intellectual  splendor,  if  7  may  so  express  it, 
which  beamed  from  his  pale  countenance, 
framed  by  ringlets  of  raven-black  hair.  He 
shook  hands  cordially,  and  courteously  thanked 
me  for  the  interest  manifested  by  myself  and 
friends  in  the  people's  cause.  When  I  showed 
him  the  schedule  I  had  prepared  of  the  terms 
which  I  considered  would  be  mutually  advan- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     41 

tageous  for  the  proposed  service,  he  quickly 
comprehended  the  detail.  With  his  pencil,  he 
added  an  increase  of  the  pecuniary  remunera- 
tion I  had  asked.  He  at  once  signed  the  docu- 
ment, and  again  expressing  gratification  at  our 
advent,  begged  that  I  would  always  communi- 
cate directly  with  him  concerning  our  require- 
ments. I  took  my  leave,  much  impressed 
with  the  refinement  and  courtesy  of  these  peo- 
ple, whom  Americans  often  thoughtlessly  im- 
agine to  be  as  deficient  in  social  graces  as  they 
are  behind  us  in  the  march  of  practical  civili- 
zation. 

The  contract  provided  for  our  exemption 
from  any  guard  duty  except  over  our  own 
quarters,  from  all  police  or  labor  details,  and 
exempted  us  from  orders  from  any  other  than 
general  officers.  Hence  questions  of  pre- 
cedence and  petty  authority  could  not  interfere 
with  our  seeking  those  "  coigns  of  vantage  " 
from  which  as  sharp-shooters  we  might  inflict 
most  damage  on  the  enemy. 

The  pay  of  the  men  was  five  times  that  of 
the  native  soldier.  My  own,  that  of  my  rank 
of  full  captain — Capitan  effective,  as  it  was  ex- 
pressed. My  own  name  was  also  followed  by 
the  descriptive  title  "  El  Capitan  California" 


42      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

and  thus  I  was  designated  through  the  whole 
period  of  my  service  in  Nicaragua  by  all  the 
natives  whether  friendly  or  inimical. 

I  may  as  well  state  here  that  on  my  repre- 
senting the  service  rendered  by  Don  Augustin 
and  his  disinterested  aims,  he  received  reim- 
bursement for  his  pecuniary  outlay  and  the 
appointment  as  an  aide  on  the  general  staff. 
In  this  position  he  did  creditable  service,  until, 
becoming  disillusionized  of  his  ideal  of  liberty, 
he,  some  time  afterwards,  resigned,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, left  the  country. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Sharp-shooting — Death  of  Doctor  Peck — Colonel  Don  Mariano  Men- 
dez — A  Foray  and  its  consequences — Killing  of  prisoners — Burn- 
ing a  hacienda — A  perilous  situation. 

r  I  "HE  actual  and  relative  situation  of  the 
\_  contending  parties  at  the  time  of  my 
arrival  in  the  Jalteva  was  not  difficult  to  un- 
derstand. Exhaustion  occasioned  by  frequent 
encounters  made  rest  and  recuperation  desira- 
ble. Neither  party  was  in  any  thing  like  a  fit 
condition  to  continue  aggressive  operations. 
The  attention  of  both  was  therefore  turned  to 
the  strengthening  of  their  positions,  the  care 
of  the  wounded  who  filled  the  hospitals,  and 
the  recruiting  of  their  depleted  ranks. 

Barricades  were  erected  and  walls  loop-holed, 
and  as  the  streets  lying  parallel  with  the  lines 
of  the  contestants  were  raked  by  the  grape  and 
canister  from  the  artillery,  it  became  necessary 
to  devise  safer  means  of  communication  with 
the  different  parts  of  our  cantonment.  This 
was  effected  by  piercing  the  thick  adobe  walls 

43 


44      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

of  the  houses  on  one  side  of  each  of  the 
main  thoroughfares,  making  the  opening  large 
enough  for  soldiers  to  march  through.  Thus  in 
a  straight  line  from  block  to  block  we  had  a  cov- 
ered arcade,  screened  by  the  contiguous  roofs 
and  walls,  and  affording  passage-way  reasona- 
bly secure  at  least  against  small  shot.  A  not 
infrequent  occurrence  was  the  passage  through 
roof  and  wall  of  a  twenty-four-pound  round  shot, 
scattering  timbers  and  adobes  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  of  course  dealing  death  and  mutila- 
tion in  its  course. 

The  enemy  had  adopted  the  same  method  of 
shelter,  but  in  crossing  the  streets  transversely 
to  our  position  the  low  breastworks,  often 
breached  by  our  cannon,  afforded  very  imper- 
fect shelter  from  our  shot.  Before  the  advent 
of  Dorse's  party  in  the  plaza  and  ours  in  the 
Jalteva,  the  bungling  aim  of  the  natives  com- 
manding these  defective  places  had  not  re- 
sulted in  serious  damage  to  those  who  unwit- 
tingly offered  themselves  as  targets,  but 
riflemen  effected  a  serious  change.  The  skip- 
ping and  contortions  which,  as  a  rule,  followed 
the  sharp  report  of  a  rifle,  was  evidence  of  ac- 
curacy of  aim,  and  though  the  sport  was  death 
to  one  party,  repeating  the  fable  of  the  boys 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     45 

and  frogs,  it  seemed  to  afford  great  amusement 
to  the  other. 

But  this  was  a  game  at  which  Major  Dorse 
and  his  men  could  play  as  well  as  we,  and  our 
accidents  were  probably  quite  equal  to  those 
of  the  enemy.  So  close  were  the  barriers  of 
each  party  to  those  of  the  other,  that  even  the 
operation  of  thrusting  a  rifle  through  the  loop- 
hole in  a  wall  had  to  be  performed  quickly,  or 
it  would  inevitably  draw  the  shot  of  some 
lynx-eyed  marksman  of  the  opposite  side,  who 
had  but  to  fire  quickly  at  the  loop-hole  to  in- 
sure his  shot  taking  effect  upon  the  person  on 
the  other  side.  In  this  way  we  suffered  many 
casualties,  my  best  marksman  being  struck  be- 
low the  eye  by  a  rifle  ball  fired  from  the  op- 
posite wall. 

I  had  one  morning  made  the  rounds  as  usual 
to  the  posts  where  the  men  were  stationed,  ac- 
companied by  Doctor  Peck,  a  colored  physician 
from  Pittsburg,  acting  as  a  surgeon  for  the 
Democratic  army.  The  doctor  had  asked 
leave  to  accompany  me  in  order  to  see  the  dif- 
ferent advanced  posts  of  our  army.  As  we 
were  about  to  leave  the  barriers,  an  adjutant 
of  Colonel  Olivas,  who  was  officer  of  the  day, 
came  up  and  informed  me  that  the  colonel  de- 


46      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

sired  him  to  say  that  a  small  party  of  the 
enemy  had  been  detected  near  where  we  then 
were,  cutting  an  opening  through  a  wall  on 
their  side  ;  behind  this  hole  they  had  conveyed 
a  gun  of  large  calibre.  Their  intention  was 
probably  to  obtain  a  range  that  would  be  de- 
structive to  some  exposed  point  of  our  canton- 
ment. The  aide  said  the  colonel  wished  me, 
if  an  opportunity  should  occur,  to  annoy  them 
with  some  of  my  riflemen,  until  they  could  be 
checked  later  by  a  larger  force. 

We  followed  the  aide,  and  quickly  arrived 
where  the  blows  of  the  picks  and  bars  were 
easily  audible  in  the  wall  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  street,  and,  as  the  wall  on  our  side  was 
loopholed  for  musketry,  I  had  no  sooner 
glanced  through  than  I  perceived,  within  a 
hundred  feet  of  me,  a  squad  of  artillerists  align- 
ing a  gun  of  twenty-four-pound-shot  calibre, 
directly  over  our  heads,  probably  at  some  point 
in  our  cantonment  beyond  us. 

To  me  the  most  startling  object  in  the  group 
was  the  well-known  figure  of  my  quondam  as- 
sociate, Major  Dorse,  superintending  the  prep- 
arations for  firing  the  piece.  His  long  rifle 
rested  across  his  left  arm,  and  I  experienced  a 
spasm  of  regret  as  the  conviction  forced  itself 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     47 

upon  me  that  duty  impelled  me  to  shoot  this 
dangerous  foe  of  the  party  I  had  promised  to 
aid.  There  was  no  evading  my  evident  duty. 
I  thrust  my  rifle  through  the  loophole.  The 
moments  of  life  for  this  brave  Texan  did  in- 
deed seem  to  be  few.  Peck,  who  was  watch- 
ing from  another  loophole,  as  he  saw  me  put 
the  rifle  through  the  wall,  hastily  begged  me 
to  let  him  make  the  shot.  It  was  an  easy  one, 
and  I  was  very  glad  to  be  spared  the  task 
which,  necessary  though  it  was,  seemed  like 
taking  an  unfair  advantage.  I  relinquished 
the  breech  of  the  rifle,  telling  him,  as  I  made 
way  for  him  to  take  my  place,  to  be  sure  and 
shoot  the  man  who  held  the  rifle.  I  cautioned 
him  to  be  quick,  for  should  they  see  the  muz- 
zle of  the  rifle  projecting  beyond  the  wall  they 
would  make  short  work  of  us.  The  doctor, 
however,  did  not  understand  "setting"  the 
trigger,  which,  owing  to  the  delicacy  of  the 
touch  which  releases  the  spring  after  this  is 
done,  is  left  until  every  thing  else  is  adjusted. 
I  quickly  set  it,  but  had  scarcely  relinquished 
the  breech  when  I  felt  myself  hurled  with  great 
force  to  the  ground.  Half  stunned,  my  eyes 
and  ears  filled  with  the  debris  from  the  wall,  I 
nevertheless  knew  what  had  happened.  The 


48      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

fatal  delay  of  Peck  had  given  the  enemy  a 
sight  of  the  rifle,  and  the  gunner,  slightly  de- 
pressing his  piece,  had  sent  the  shot  from  the 
place  where  the  rifle  projected  at  the  wall. 
The  ball  had  opened  a  large  breach,  and,  as 
scrambling  to  my  knees  I  peered  through  the 
dust,  I  saw  Dorse,  with  rifle  at  his  shoulder, 
watching  for  some  moving  object  to  aim  at. 
Not  wishing  to  be  that  object,  I  kept  close 
under  the  unbreached  portion  of  the  wall,  where 
Peck  lay,  slowly  straightening  in  the  rigidity  of 
death.  The  ball  had  merely  grazed  his  fore- 
head, the  concussion  probably  producing  his 
death.  The  aide-de-camp  and  myself  managed 
to  drag  his  body  away  from  the  aperture,  and, 
as  a  party  of  our  troops  had  arrived,  the  fight 
soon  became  general. 

Among  the  officers  were  men  of  education 
and  refinement,  usually  soldiers  of  experience 
rather  than  of  inclination  ;  for,  in  the  fierce 
partisan  wars  that  so  frequently  devastate 
the  Spanish-American  republics,  a  man  can 
often  safeguard  more  certainly  both  property 
and  person  by  joining  the  army  than  by 
staying  at  home.  A  neutral  is  usually  con- 
sidered legitimate  prey  by  each  party  in  the 
strife. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     49 

The  ideal  of  the  soldiers  of  La  Democracia 
was  Colonel  Mariano  Mendez,  the  pennon  of 
whose  lance  had,  during  the  last  thirty  years, 
fluttered  to  the  breeze  on  nearly  every  battle- 
field of  his  native  Mexico  and  of  Central 
America.  In  the  middle  ages  he  would  have 
been  designated  a  soldier  of  fortune. 

His  love  of  strife,  and — owing  to  his  im- 
provident habits — his  generally  destitute  con- 
dition, impelled  him  to  fight  wherever  and 
whenever  he  saw  an  opportunity.  His  great 
skill  in  the  use  of  sword  and  lance,  combined 
with  a  cunning  and  daring  that  often  insured 
success  in  enterprises  distasteful  to  more  able 
but  more  scrupulous  men,  assured  him  a  nu- 
merous following  of  adventurers.  He  was  the 
son  of  a  Spanish  cavalier  and  an  Indian 
mother,  singularly  handsome  of  form  and  face, 
though  both  were  seamed  with  the  scars  of 
many  battles.  His  complexion  and  raven 
locks,  now  streaked  with  gray,  betokened 
Indian  blood,  while  his  exceedingly  graceful 
horsemanship  and  skill  in  the  use  of  weapons 
were  probably  an  inheritance  from  noble  Span- 
ish ancestry.  He  was  remorseless  and  cruel ; 
his  mode  of  warfare  was  savage  rather  than 
civilized  ;  his  name  was  a  terror  to  the  enemy ; 


50      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

and,  although  great  license  was  permitted  by 
the  authorities  on  each  side,  General  Jerez 
often  found  it  difficult  to  restrain  Mendez 
even  within  the  generous  limits. 

This  somewhat  formidable  personage  had 
conceived  a  liking  for  me,  possibly  on  account 
of  my  proficiency  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  a 
weapon  he  knew  nothing  about ;  I  certainly 
admired  the  reckless  and  graceful  soldier, 
whose  atrocities  were,  so  far,  only  matters  of 
hearsay  to  me.  He  united  with  his  warlike 
traits  the  gentler  gifts  of  the  troubadour  and 
improvisatore,  and  frequently  invited  me  to 
join  the  gay  officers  who  were  continually 
serenading  those  ladies  who,  during  this  period 
of  inaction,  shared  the  life  *of  the  camp  with 
their  husbands  and  fathers. 

The  mere  life  of  the  camp,  despite  the  nu- 
merous daily  casualties,  which,  taken  in  the 
aggregate,  were  more  serious  than  would  have 
been  the  disasters  of  a  pitched  battle,  was 
monotonous  to  those  who  sought  "  the  bubble 
reputation,"  or  the  excitement  of  a  general 
engagement.  However,  the  frequent  sorties 
by  detached  forces,  either  for  the  purposes  of 
forage  and  the  commissariat,  or  to  check  an  en- 
croachment on  our  lines,  or  to  harass  a  weak 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     51 

point  of  the  enemy's,  offered  opportunities  for 
winning  local  glory  or  getting  knocked  on  the 
head  ;  that  was  the  business  I  had  engaged 
for,  and  as  the  duties  of  the  men  required  but 
little  supervision,  I  often  volunteered  my  ser- 
vices for  these  expeditions. 

Mendez,  who  generally  reserved  himself  for 
those  occasions  in  which  glory  and  profit  could 
be  combined,  had  casually  asked  me  if  I  cared 
to  join  him  in  a  project  he  had  on  hand,  which 
would  require  a  considerable  force,  and  would 
detach  us  from  the  support  of  the  main  body 
of  our  army, — an  affair,  he  said,  in  which  the 
rifles  could  be  of  great  service. 

I  readily  agreed  to  go,  and  promised  that  as 
many  of  the  rifles  as  chose  to  volunteer  should 
accompany  me.  The  result  was  that  all  vol- 
unteered. General  Jerez  granted  leave,  though 
he  was  doubtful  whether  Mendez  and  myself 
would  agree  about  the  management  of  the 
affair,  the  plan  of  which  included  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  buildings  and  the  capture  of  the 
rich  stores  of  cacao  on  the  estate  or  hacienda 
of  Don  Fruto  Chamorro,  the  president  of  the 
opposing  faction. 

The  hacienda  was  situated  beyond  the  far- 
ther extremity  of  the  enemy's  lines,  'and  on 


52      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  shore  of  the  lake.  Although  it  contained 
valuable  stores,  owing  to  its  distance  from  our 
army  and  the  proximity  of  the  plaza,  whence  it 
could  if  necessary  be  reinforced,  it  had  not  been 
well  guarded. 

By  preconcerted  arrangement,  I  joined  Men- 
dez  with  fifteen  riflemen,  at  midnight,  at  the 
polvon,  or  powder  mills.  Mendez  had  sixty 
lancers  with  him,  who  also  carried  arquebuses 
slung  to  their  backs.  Both  bands  were  mounted, 
for  we  had  to  make  a  considerable  detour  in 
order  to  reach  the  hacienda  unobserved  by  the 
enemy's  outposts. 

When  sufficiently  near  the  point  of  attack, 
we  left  our  horses  in  charge  of  a  small  guard, 
and,  descending  into  the  dry  bed  of  the  fosse, 
or  ravine,  which  ran  along  this  side  of  the 
town,  cautiously  approached  the  gate  of  en- 
trance to  the  hacienda,  opposite  to  a  salle- 
porte  in  the  wall  of  the  town,  by  which  rein- 
forcements could  be  sent  to  the  aid  of  the 
place,  whenever  needed.  It  was  evident  that 
riflemen  were  desirable  to  prevent  communi- 
cation by  this  route  between  the  hacienda  and 
the  plaza.  The  shrubbery  would  effectually 
conceal  the  smallness  of  our  band. 

To  render  our  aim  effective,  however,  day- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     53 

light  had  to  be  waited  for,  and  as  we  lay  silently 
among  the  dry  leaves,  we  heard  the  tread  and 
frequent  challenge  of  the  sentry  within  the  wall 
of  the  town  and  in  the  guard-house  at  the 
hacienda,  the  light  from  which  was  plainly  seen. 

Mendez'  force,  with  the  stealth  and  silence 
of  Indians,  approached  the  entrance  to  the 
hacienda,  and,  at  the  first  gleam  of  dawn,  fell 
upon  the  guard  on  duty,  thus  gaining  an  en- 
trance before  the  entire  force,  which  was  about 
equal  to  their  own,  could  be  brought  against 
them.  The  attack  upon  the  hacienda  rudely 
disturbed  the  quiet  of  the  hour  of  dawn.  The 
noise  of  strife  and  clash  of  arms  were  quickly 
succeeded  by  a  long  roll  from  the  plaza,  the 
response  to  the  order  to  "  fall  in."  This  was 
the  signal  that  our  turn  to  take  part  in  the 
combat  was  approaching.  Foreseeing  the  ne- 
cessity for  coolness,  precision  of  aim,  and  com- 
plete concealment  of  the  smallness  of  our  num- 
bers, I  cautioned  the  men  on  these  points,  and 
we  awaited  in  silence  the  coming  of  the  enemy. 

Suddenly  the  iron  gate  to  the  salle-porte 
went  up  with  a  clang,  and  two  by  two  the 
white-ribboned  soldiers,  trailing  arms,  stepped 
through,  and  began  deploying  in  the  front, 
with  the  regularity  of  a  dress  parade. 


54      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  saying  that  "  all  is  fair  in  war,"  is  equiva- 
lent to  saying  that  all  is  equally  fair  in  an  un- 
fair procedure.  War  is,  by  the  novelist,  and 
often  by  the  historian,  made  to  appear  attrac- 
tive, and  doubtless  the  pomp  and  panoply  serve 
the  purpose  of  blinding  the  reason,  for  the 
moment,  to  its  unmitigated  savagery.  But  to 
the  actor  in  the  strife,  who  may  be  capable  of 
analyzing  the  motives  and  traits  exhibited,  it  is 
not  difficult  to  agree  with  the  philosophy  which 
suggests  man's  bestial  origin. 

We  directed  a  steady  fire  at  short  range 
into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  reloading,  and 
firing  again.  The  unexpected  ambush  and 
precision  of  aim  threw  them  instantly  into 
confusion.  They  had  no  means  of  judging 
of  our  numbers,  but  the  sharpness  of  the  re- 
ports and  fatality  of  aim,  advised  them  that 
they  were  under  fire  of  the  dreaded  rifles,  and 
they  retreated  within  the  gate,  leaving  their 
dead  and  wounded  on  the  field. 

The  momentary  shock  which  our  unexpected 
fire  had  produced  was  followed  by  a  brisk  fire 
from  the  walls,  and  a  rain  of  bullets  followed 
which  would  have  exterminated  us,  had  not 
each  man  sought  such  shelter  as  tree  or  rock 
afforded.  This  furious  fire  brought  a  squad 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      55 

from  the  soldiers  of  Mendez  to  our  assistance, 
but,  as  the  enemy  made  no  attempt  to  storm 
our  position,  the  reinforcement  was  not  needed. 
After  awhile  the  fire  from  within  the  walls 
slackened,  a  proof  to  me  that  some  new 
method  of  attack  was  being  devised. 

Meantime  the  firing  at  the  hacienda  had 
ceased,  and  the  soldiers  informed  us  that  Men- 
dez had  won  a  complete  victory  over  the  gar- 
rison. I  felt  sure  that  our  position  could  not 
long  remain  tenable,  cut  off  as  we  were  by 
distance  from  our  army  and  within  the  lines  of 
the  enemy,  and  determined  to  draw  my  men 
out  of  the  ravine  and  join  Mendez  preparatory 
to  the  necessary  withdrawal  of  our  united 
force  ;  it  being  no  part  of  the  plan  in  these 
forays  to  attempt  to  hold  any  ground  longer 
than  was  necessary  to  accomplish  that  destruc- 
tion which  was  the  main  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion. By  making  a  feint  on  a  point  in  the 
wall  at  a  little  distance,  I  succeeded  in  dis- 
tracting the  enemy's  attention  sufficiently  to 
unable  us  to  scramble  out  of  the  moat  and 
join  Mendez  at  the  hacienda. 

The  scene  before  us  on  entering  the  court 
of  the  estate  was  decidedly  dramatic,  but  I  felt 
that  the  situation  demanded  my  intervention. 


56       The  " Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  various  offices  and  outbuildings  sur- 
rounding the  court  were  ablaze,  and  the  rich 
cargoes  of  cacao  and  other  merchandise, 
which,  with  the  destruction  of  the  buildings, 
had  been  the  object  of  the  expedition,  were 
being  strapped  on  the  backs  of  mules  prepara- 
tory to  being  carried  off  for  the  uses  of  our 
commissariat. 

So  far  the  instincts  of  the  old  soldier  had 
led  Mandez  to  accomplish  the  legitimate  busi- 
ness in  hand  with  celerity.  On  such  occasions 
moments  are  of  great  value ;  the  enemy's 
advantages  of  numbers  and  positions  were  so 
great,  that  as  much  sagacity  and  calculation 
were  required  to  get  away  before  they  could 
block  the  avenues  of  retreat,  as  in  any  other 
part  of  the  undertaking. 

Having,  however,  got  the  business  under 
way,  Mendez  had  yielded  to  his  baser  in- 
stincts, and  was  inflicting  what  mischief  he 
could  upon  those  who  had  fallen  into  his  hands. 

Dead  soldiers,  wearing  the  red  as  well  as  the 
white,  lay  scattered  on  the  pavement  of  the 
court.  Evidently  the  place  had  not  been 
yielded  without  a  severe  struggle.  What, 
however,  instantly  claimed  my  attention,  was  a 
group  beneath  a  large  mango  tree  in  a  corner 


The  "'Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.     5  7 

of  the  court.  Conspicuous  among  the  men 
stood  Mendez,  a  colored  handkerchief  bound 
round  his  head,  his  coat  thrown  off,  and  hold- 
ing in  his  hand  his  long  Toledo  sword,  the  blade 
of  which  was  wet  with  blood.  He  was  direct- 
ing some  soldiers  who  were  trying  to  cast  the 
end  of  a  rope  over  a  branch  of  the  tree,  the 
other  end  being  fastened  by  a  slip-noose  round 
the  neck  of  one  of  the  prisoners.  A  similiar 
preparation  was  being  made  not  far  off  to  hang 
another  of  the  prisoners,  most  of  whom  were 
on  their  knees  muttering  payers  for  that  mercy 
from  their  God  which  had  been  denied  them 
by  their  fellow-man. 

Mendez'  sense  of  his  duty  to  get  away  at 
once  from  a  dangerous  position  was  evidently 
struggling  with  his  desire  for  vengeance  and 
hatred  of  his  enemies.  He  was  urging  the 
men  to  greater  haste,  and  not  without  reason, 
for  the  bullets  of  the  enemy's  skirmishers  were 
raining  about  the  place  in  a  way  calculated  to 
convince  us  that  they  must  be  backed  by  a  con- 
siderable force.  As  capture  in  this  war  had 
the  most  terrible  significance,  it  behooved  us  to 
break  through  the  net  fast  closing  around  us. 
All  of  my  instincts  of  humanity  and  sense  of 
manhood,  however,  revolted  against  this  mode 


58      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

of  dealing  with  defenceless  prisoners,  and  as 
my  men  were  well  in  hand  while  those  of  Men- 
dez  were  much  scattered,  I  determined  to 
effect  by  a  coup  de  main  that  which  there  was 
neither  time  nor  opportunity  to  accomplish  by 
less  arbitrary  means.  At  a  word  from  me  the 
Americans  walked  up  to  the  prisoners,  and, 
casting  the  ropes  from  their  necks,  took  pos- 
session of  them,  while  turning  to  Mendez, 
whom  I  saluted  formally,  I  told  him  I  could 
not  consent  to  the  barbarism  he  contemplated. 

His  answer,  fire  flashing  from  his  eye,  was  a 
lunge  with  his  sword  at  my  breast.  Before  I 
had  acted,  however,  I  had  foreseen  conse- 
quences and  was  prepared.  My  rifle  was  in- 
stantly at  my  shoulder,  and  the  Colonel's  foot 
was  as  instantly  arrested.  I  confess  that  I  was 
strongly  tempted  to  send  a  bullet  through  his 
heart.  His  savage  expression  gradually  soft- 
ened, and,  as  he  dropped  the  point  of  his 
sword,  he  said  I  should  account  to  him  later, 
but  that,  at  present,  we  had  to  get  away. 

The  latter  necessity  was  indeed  apparent, 
for  some  of  the  men  were  already  engaged  in 
repelling  the  enemy  from  the  gate  of  the  en- 
closure, and  we  now  turned  a  resolute  front 
upon  them,  forcing  them  back  with  resistless 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.     5 9 

impetuosity.  Then  mounting  the  horses  which 
had  been  brought  to  the  hacienda,  Mendez, 
with  the  cargoes,  and  the  prisoners,  whom  I 
had  turned  over  to  a  trusty  native  sergeant 
whom  I  knew,  stole  away  by  a  devious  route 
from  the  dangerous  locality.  Having  foreseen 
the  difficulties  of  the  retreat,  and  knowing 
that  the  native  lancers  would  be  most  servicea- 
ble both  in  guarding  the  plunder  and  in  lead- 
ing the  way,  I  hastily  told  Mendez  that,  if 
they  would  take  care  of  our  horses,  I  would 
take  care  of  the  rear,  which  was  most  exposed 
to  attack  by  the  enemy.  The  old  soldier's 
wrinkled  face  expanded  into  a  smile  as  he 
acquiesced  in  the  arrangement.  He  probably 
felt  that,  although  the  "  Estrangeros?  as  we 
were  sometimes  called,  had  queer  notions  re- 
garding the  treatment  of  captives,  they  were 
all  right  where  fighting  was  to  be  done.  The 
enemy  pressed  us  hard,  and  if  the  riflemen  had 
not  been  in  the  rear  to  check  their  advance, 
disaster  must  have  resulted.  After  harassing 
us  for  about  a  mile,  and  finding  that  reinforce- 
ments were  coming  to  our  aid,  they  withdrew. 
Four  of  the  riflemen  were  killed  or  subse- 
quently died  of  wounds  received  in  this  affair, 
and  Mendez  after  the  service  we  rendered  in 


60      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

securing  his  safe  withdrawal  from  the  hacienda, 
laughed  away  the  little  unpleasantness  between 
us.  Indeed,  he  afterwards  humorously  satir- 
ized it  in  one  of  his  improvisations,  enacting 
the  part  of  the  "  New  Don  Quixote,"  to  the 
great  amusement  of  his  audience.  As  his  sav- 
agery was  not  generally  approved  in  the  camp, 
I  received  many  tokens  of  approval  for  the 
lesson  I  had  given  him. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Visit  of  the  American  Minister — Truce  declared,  for  the  occasion 
only — Major  Dorse's  insidious  treachery — An  affair  in  the 
suburbs — Death  of  Dorse — Cholera  and  other  sickness — Radi- 
cate's  fiasco — I  form  a  native  company  of  riflemen — Assigned  to 
the  "  post  of  honor." 

THE  arrival  about  this  time,  at  the  camp, 
of  the  United  States  Minister  and  suite 
was  an  interesting  event. 

In  order  to  observe  strict  neutrality,  a  cere- 
monial visit  was  made  to  Chamorro,  in  the 
plaza,  and  afterwards  to  the  commanding  offi- 
cer representing  the  Democratic  government, 
in  the  Jalteva.  A  truce,  the  first  during  the 
war,  was  agreed  upon  for  the  occasion.  Os- 
tensibly the  purport  of  the  visit  was  to  convey 
the  good-will  and  greeting  of  the  republic  in 
the  north  to  the  sister  republic  in  Central 
America.  Some  of  us,  however,  knew  that 
the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  a  representative 
government  like  that  of  the' United  States  was 
naturally  with  the  cause  of  the  people  in 
Nicaragua. 

61 


62      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  practical  importance  and  significance  of 
the  visit  to  the  Democrats  was  expressed  by 
the  presence,  in  the  suite  of  the  Minister,  of  two 
emissaries  of  Colonel  William  Walker,  of  Cal- 
ifornia. Captain  Hornsby  and  Mr.  Du  Bris- 
sott  were  empowered  by  Colonel  Walker  to 
contract  with  the  Democratic  government  for 
the  service  of  himself  and  such  agriculturists 
as  he  might  bring  with  him — all  to  become 
naturalized  citizens  of  Nicaragua,  and  to  re- 
ceive certain  grants  of  land  and  other  emolu- 
ments, as  consideration  for  their  intention  of 
developing  the  natural  resources  of  the  coun- 
try. And  they  were  furthermore,  in  view  of 
the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs,  to  be  per- 
mitted to  come  armed  for  purposes  of  self- 
defence. 

This  permission  would  presumably  exempt 
them  from  molestation  from  the  United  States 
authorities  at  San  Francisco,  who  might,  with- 
out it,  detain  them  as  invaders  of  the  peace  of 
a  neighboring  nation. 

The  terms  were  accepted  and  the  agreement 
was  confirmed  by  the  government  at  Leon,  and 
constituted  the  authority  under  which  Colonel 
Walker  and  his  adherents  subsequently  acted. 

The  epithet  filibiister,  by  which  the  British 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      63 

sought  to  bring1  discredit  on  a  movement  which 
bade  fair  to  destroy  their  time-honored  privi- 
lege of  dominating  the  affairs  of  the  compara- 
tively feeble  governments  of  the  West  India 
Islands  and  Central  America,  was  echoed  by 
the  anti-slavery  party  in  the  United  States, 
and  thus  Britannia  continues  to  rule,  except 
where  the  French  are  acquiring  the  right  to 
the  Isthmus.  The  next  step  towards  posses- 
sion will  be  taken  when  an  Anglo-German 
commercial  alliance  shall  purchase  of  Nica- 
ragua the  proper  concession  for  an  inter- 
oceanic  canal  across  the  only  feasable  route  for 
that  purpose.  And  then  the  respective  foreign 
governments  will  find  it  necessary  to  ensure 
observance  of  the  vested  rights  of  their  citi- 
zens by  a  protectorate  that  will  culminate  in 
an  occupation  of  the  adjacent  territory. 

Meantime  the  statesmen  of  the  United  States 
will  quote  the  Monroe  doctrine,  but  will  be 
chiefly  active  in  seeking  the  Presidential  suc- 
cession for  themselves. 

The  unusual  opportunity  afforded  by  the 
truce,  for  an  interchange  of  news  and  greetings 
between  relatives  and  former  friends  now  di- 
vided by  armed  faction,  drew  crowds  to  the 
barriers,  and  as  I  learned  that  Major  Dorse 


64      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

was   among  the  foremost,    I  followed   in   the 
same  direction. 

The  unaccustomed  sound,  and  in  loud  tones, 
of  the  English  language,  drew  me  to  a  locality 
where  I  found  Dorse,  in  the  true  stump-orator 
style,  declaiming  in  the  presence  of  the  rifle- 
men, the  subject  of  his  remarks  being  to  set 
forth  the  superior  advantages  of  the  service  of 
the  Church  party, — extending,  in  fact,  an  invi- 
tation to  desert.  I  ordered  the  riflemen  back 
to  their  quarters,  and  informed  the  crowd,  who 
were  naturally  suspicious,  of  the  nature  of  the 
Texan's  oratory,  so  that  they  hooted  him  away. 
I  thought  no  more  of  this  incident  at  the  time, 
looking  upon  it  as  a  part  of  the  natural  impu- 
dence and  audacity  of  Dorse.  The  next  day, 
the  short  truce  being  over,  a  crumpled  note, 
addressed  in  English,  to  the  "  Captain  Cali- 
fornia," was  handed  me  by  the  General's  adju- 
tant, which,  on  opening,  I  found  to  be  from 
Dorse,  thanking  me  for  my  ready  acceptance 
of  his  propositions,  and  suggesting  that  in  the 
next  opportunity,  offered  by  any  of  the  numer- 
ous partial  engagements  of  outposts,  I  should 
come  over  with  the  riflemen  as  agreed  to,  etc. 
The  adjutant  said  the  letter  had  been  found 
wrapped  tightly  about  the  head  of  an  arrow 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      65 

which  had  been  projected  over  the  barriers 
during  the  night. 

I  lost  no  time  in  seeking  Jerez,  on  whom  I 
burst  with  very  little  ceremony,  and  as  the 
audience-chamber  was  filled  with  officers,  many 
of  whom  greeted  my  approach  with  broad  grins 
and  laughter,  I  demanded  of  the  General,  as  I 
glanced  rather  fiercely  at  them,  whether  there 
were  any  there  who  perchance  supposed  me 
capable  of  the  action  implied  by  the  precious 
missive  I  bore  in  my  hand,  the  contents  of 
which  I  perceived  they  were  acquainted  with. 
I  was  rather  young  and  impulsive  in  those 
days.  They  all,  the  General  included,  roared 
with  laughter,  mitigating  the  apparent  rudeness, 
however,  by  one  and  all  assuring  me  of  their 
confidence  in  my  good  faith. 

This  attempt  of  Dorse  to  excite  distrust  of  us 
among  the  native  officers  was  perhaps  no  worse 
morally  than  any  other  ruse  de guerre.  But  it 
was  resented  by  the  men,  and  I  am  afraid  by 
me,  with  a  feeling  of  vindictiveness  that  at  a 
more  mature  age  I  could  not  have  entertained. 
And  each  one  of  us  resolved  that  on  the  first 
opportunity  he  would  endeavor  to  square  ac- 
counts with  the  wily  Texan.  Fate  had  decreed 
that  the  occasion  should  not  be  far  distant 


66       The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  exploits  of  detached  parties  continued 
to  keep  alive  the  spirit  of  enterprise,  and  to 
give  opportunity  for  distinction  to  those  who 
sought  more  excitement  than  was  afforded  by 
the  frequent  light  skirmishes  at  the  barriers. 

A  suburb  of  the  town,  covered  with  thatched 
cottages  and  an  occasional  more  substantial 
adobe  structure,  which  had  hitherto  been,  un- 
til recently,  neutral  ground,  was  now  occupied 
by  a  force  of  the  enemy,  who  met  any  feeble 
attempts  of  ours  to  investigate  their  proceed- 
ings with  so  lively  a  firing  that  we  very  soon 
desisted  from  disturbing  them.  All  doubt  of 
their  object  was  set  at  rest  when,  one  morning 
early,  they  opened,  from  an  angle  left  un- 
guarded by  us,  a  cannonade  upon  our  head- 
quarters that  threatened  a  speedy  demolition 
of  the  Church  as  well  as  of  the  contiguous 
quarters  of  the  soldiers.  Colonel  Olivas  at 
once  called  for  volunteers  for  a  storming  party, 
and  the  rifles  were  the  first  to  offer. 

In  an  hour  five  hundred  men  were  on  the 
way  to  the  exposed  position,  and  as,  excepting 
for  a  little  brush,  the  road  was  quite  unshel- 
tered, detachments  starting  from  two  different 
points  rivalled  each  other  in  the  effort  to  get 
on  the  ground  first.  Our  movement  was  plainly 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      67 

seen  from  the  plaza,  reinforcements  were  sent 
to  the  battery,  and  we  had  the  prospect  of  a 
lively  fight.  As  we  neared  the  point  of  attack, 
we  encountered  a  brisk  fire  of  grape  and  mus- 
ketry, and  the  nature  of  the  ground  being  very 
uneven,  order  was  abandoned.  Each  man 
emulated  his  neighbor  in  his  efforts  to  close  in 
upon  the  enemy,  so  that,  after  a  short  run,  we 
were  too  close  to  suffer  from  the  fire  of  the 
field-pieces,  and  the  struggle  became  a  hand-to- 
hand  conflict. 

This  lasted  a  short  time  only,  and  then  each 
partial  protection  against  the  rain  of  bullets, 
whether  a  cane  cottage  whose  walls  offered  no 
obstruction  to  their  passage,  or  the  more  sub- 
stantial adobe  structure,  was  hastily  sought  as  a 
rallying  point,  whence  again  to  charge  en  masse. 

As  fast  as  we  dislodged  the  enemy  from  one 
point  they  appeared  at  another.  Bullets  swept 
the  air  from  every  direction,  and  the  opposing 
combatants  were  so  mingled  as  to  offer  no  dis- 
tinguishing mark  except  that  afforded  by  the 
color  of  the  ribbons  and  facings  of  their  uniforms. 
Dorse  and  all  his  men  were  there,  their  whiter 
skins  and  more  European  costumes  rendering 
them  easily  distinguishable,  as  doubtless  our 
riflemen  were  by  them.  Dorse  himself  had  more 


68      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

nearly  assimilated  his  dress  to  that  of  the 
native  officers,  though  I  caught  two  or  three 
transient  glimpses  of  him,  but  the  rapidity  of 
the  changes  of  movement  gave  little  oppor- 
tunity for  a  steady  aim. 

Sad  havoc  was,  however,  being  made,  con- 
sidering the  not  large  number  engaged,  and 
when,  after  nearly  an  hour's  hard  fighting,  we 
found  ourselves  in  possession  of  the  ground, 
the  considerable  space  over  which  we  had 
fought  was  literally  covered  with  the  dead. 
Red  and  white  ribbons  were  apparently  in 
about  equal  proportion. 

The  proximity  of  the  enemy  to  the  plaza 
had  probably  been  an  inducement  for  them  to 
give  way,  as  once  within  the  walls  they  were 
assured  of  shelter  from  our  shot.  But  as  a 
rally  in  greater  force  was  sure  to  follow,  we 
set  about  firing  every  house  and  combustible 
thing  that,  if  left,  might  afford  them  shelter. 
It  was  too  far  from  our  supporting  lines  for  us 
to  attempt  to  hold  the  place.  When  the  work 
of  demolition  was  complete,  we  drew  our  re- 
maining force  away  and  returned.  Half  of  my 
little  squad  of  riflemen  was  killed  in  this  en- 
counter, and  nearly  a  third  of  the  native  troops 
with  which  we  set  out  was  also  missing. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      69 

Among  the  disasters  suffered  by  the  enemy 
was  the  death  of  Major  Dorse.  He  had  fought 
with  his  accustomed  valor,  repeatedly  encour- 
aging his  party  to  hold  their  ground.  Three 
rifle-balls,  at  different  times  during  the  fight, 
had  pierced  his  body,  none  of  them  proving 
immediately  fatal.  When,  on  their  retreat,  he 
was  conveyed  within  their  lines,  and  his  life 
was  slowly  ebbing  away,  he,  with  characteristic 
pride,  asked  for  his  rifle.  It  was  brought  and 
held  while  he,  with  fading  sight,  tried  to  hit  a 
mark.  Such  was  the  story  brought  us  after- 
wards. 

I  shall  spare  myself  and  the  reader  the  rela- 
tion of  many  affairs  of  similar  import  which  oc- 
curred during  these  summer  months  while  my 
men  dwindled  in  numbers,  owing  to  the  acci- 
dents of  battle  and  the  consumption  of  exceed- 
ingly bad  whiskey.  My  good  fortune  at  this 
time  seemed  to  exempt  me  from  harm  from 
bullets — an  immunity  that  subsequent  expe- 
riences taught  me  was  purely  accidental.  I 
was  initiated,  too,  in  a  curious  phase  of  state 
policy  that  would  have  disillusioned  me  of  the 
"sacredness  of  the  most  glorious  cause,"  etc., 
if  that  process  had  not  already  been  completed. 
The  loss  of  so  many  of  my  riflemen  had  thrown 


70       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

me  for  employment  among  the  natives,  with 
whose  leaders  I  had  consequently  formed  a 
more  intimate  acquaintance,  and,  as  the  enemy 
had  suffered  equally  with  ourselves  from  the 
various  causes  already  enumerated,  it  seemed 
to  me  that  the  time  had  come  for  a  bold  and 
well-concerted  movement  to  capture  the  plaza. 
We  knew  all  about  their  relaxation  of  disci- 
pline and  enterprise,  not  only  through  spies, 
but  also  from  the  fact  that  the  "  Tierras  mu- 
ertes"  as  they  were  called, — the  open  ground 
exposed  to  the  enemy's  shot, — could  now  be 
traversed  with  impunity,  while  formerly  the 
adventurous  passenger  would  have  been  greet- 
ed by  a  rain  of  bullets.  Filled  with  this  idea, 
I  sought  a  private  audience  with  Generals  Gu- 
errero and  Jerez,  and  urged  that  a  picked  band 
of  men  should  make  the  assault,  which,  if  prop- 
erly conducted,  could  not  fail  of  success. 

Guerrero,  the  wily  cabinet  counsellor,  after 
imposing  secrecy,  informed  me  that  it  would 
not  at  present  suit  the  government  at  Leon  to 
end  the  war  ;  the  effect,  he  said,  would  be  to 
throw  various  claimants  for  office  and  emolu- 
ments— now  happily  employed  in  the  field— 
upon  the  President,  who  could  not  possibly 
satisfy  them  all.  New  dissensions  would 


The  "  Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      7 1 

therefore  arise  more  difficult  to  treat  than  the 
single  obstacle  of  the  enemy  in  the  plaza.  The 
revelation  was  to  me  as  discouraging  probably 
as  was  the  state  of  things  which  caused  the 
despairing  Roman  to  declare  that  "virtue  is 
but  a  name."  Music  and  revelry  became  the 
order  in  the  camp.  Fandangos,  serenades,  and 
gayety  generally  prevailed,  while  the  hospi- 
tals were  crowded  with  maimed  and  dying 
soldiers. 

The  Asiatic  cholera  came  with  a  suddenness 
and  violence  that  was  in  part  due  to  the  defi- 
ciency in  sanitary  regulations. 

Those  killed  in  the  numerous  skirmishes  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town  were  left  to  the  buz- 
zards, who,  although  constantly  hovering  in 
the  air  in  vast  throngs,  were  yet  unable  wholly 
to  dispose  of  the  harvest  of  food  which  war 
and  pestilence  combined  cast  out  for  them.  The 
labor  of  interment  was  considered  too  heavy  a 
task  to  impose  upon  the  soldiers,  and  the  habit 
of  shooting  all  prisoners — indulged  in  by  both 
sides — left  us  without  that  resource  for  a  labor 
contingent.  The  custom  that  prevailed  was 
to  place  the  corpses  of  those  who  die  at  night, 
from  whatever  cause,  upon  the  front-door 
steps  every  morning  at  sunrise.  At  this  hour 


72       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

carts  were  driven  along  the  principal  streets, 
and  the  bodies,  being  collected,  were  conveyed 
to  a  cliff  near  the  Polvon,  about  a  mile  outside 
the  town,  and  there  cast  over,  becoming  soon 
a  mass  of  putrefaction,  the  gases  from  which 
tainted  the  air  we  breathed.  My  health,  which 
held  good  under  conditions  that  had  prostrated 
feeble  and  robust  alike,  now  gave  way. 

An  attack  of  brain-fever  prostrated  me. 
Weeks  passed  before  I  was  able  to  take  note  of 
affairs  going  on  in  the  camp,  and  then  I  found 
that  on  account  of  the  pestilence  hostilities 
had  been  suspended.  They  were  resumed 
gradually  as  the  cholera  abated. 

To  any  one  capable  of  forecasting,  the  result 
of  our  supine  inactivity  appeared  inevitable. 
The  exchequer  of  each  party  was  equally  low, 
but  the  enemy  had  the  advantage  of  drawing 
supplies  from  near  home,  in  the  defence  of 
which  they  considered  conscription  and  forced 
levies  legitimate.  On  the  other  hand,  our 
strength  in  men  and  means  was  derived  from 
the  distant  department  of  Leon,  and  we  were 
dependent  upon  volunteers  for  filling  up  our 
thinned  ranks.  As  many  of  the  men  who  had 
enlisted  for  short  terms  were  getting  tired, 
now  that  the  novelty  had  worn  off,  and  were, 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      73 

moreover,  desirous  of  returning  home  for  the 
replanting  of  their  fields,  we  saw  our  force 
dwindling  daily.  So  it  became  evident  that 
our  evacuation  of  the  Jalteva  would  very 
soon  be  a  necessity  apparent  to  all. 

In  this  condition  of  our  affairs,  in  order  to 
hide  our  weakness  we  sometimes  assumed  a 
bluster  before  the  enemy. 

Hence  Colonel  Radicate,  our  Italian  chief 
of  artillery,  who  was  chiefly  conspicuous  for 
deficiency  in  the  knowledge  of  engineering 
so  necessary  in  his  branch  of  the  service,  set 
about  the  erection  of  a  trestle-work.  After 
carrying  this  up  to  a  height  of  forty  feet  he 
purposed  to  mount  upon  it  heavy  cannon  from 
which  to  throw  round  shot  into  the  plaza. 
He  and  I  had  been  unfriendly  for  some  time ; 
the  enmity  was  on  his  part,  for  I  had  too  great 
a  contempt  for  the  man's  lack  of  ability  and 
moral  character  to  regard  him  with  any  deeper 
feeling  than  dislike.  As,  however,  his  struc- 
ture created  considerable  comment  and  expec- 
tation in  the  camp,  General  Pineda,  Don  Justo 
Lugo,  and  I,  made  an  informal  visit  of  inspec- 
tion to  it  one  evening.  It  was  to  be  completed 
that  night  and  the  cannonade  from  it  opened 
pn  the  enemy  at  daylight  the  next  morning. 


74       The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

We  did  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  it  a  trap 
that  would  be  more  fatal  to  its  occupants  than 
to  the  enemy,  telling  Radicate  that  the  recoil 
of  his  heavy  guns  would  shake  it  down  ;  be- 
sides, that  on  so  fragile  a  structure  he  could 
oppose  no  adequate  resistance  to  the  return 
shot  of  the  enemy.  We  tried  to  dissuade  him 
from  making  the  experiment,  failing  in  which, 
I  believe  I  offended  him  by  a  censure  which  it 
was  certainly  not  my  place  to  make.  His  re- 
sentment took  a  shape  I  had  not  foreseen. 
An  hour  or  two  later  I  was  accosted  by  an 
adjutant  from  the  General,  directing  me  to 
send  such  riflemen  as  were  fit  for  duty  to 
report  to  Colonel  Radicate  at  daylight  for  ser- 
vice on  the  platform.  Mendez  and  Don  Justo 
were  with  me  when  the  order  came,  and,  as  I 
could  not  contest  it  nor  send  men  on  a  duty  I 
had  declared  suicidal  without  accompanying 
them,  I  prepared  for  the  morning's  duty  under  a 
battery  of  jokes  from  my  friends.  One  recom- 
mended an  umbrella  attachment  to  enable  me 
to  alight  easily,  and  the  other  the  padding  of 
my  clothing  to  the  same  end,  all  promising  to 
see  me  decently  buried,  etc. 

In  the  morning  I  found  Radicate  waiting 
for  daylight.  The  guns  were  pointed  and  all 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      75 

ready  as  I   quietly  took  my  place  with  three 
riflemen  on  the  platform. 

No  public  work  like  this  of  Radicate's  could 
be  carried  on  in  the  cantonment  without  mi- 
nute details  of  its  progress  and  probable  pur- 
pose being  conveyed  to  the  enemy  through 
the  numerous  spies.  Therefore,  it  was  reason- 
able to  infer  that  the  enemy  were  as  ready  for 
their  part  in  the  tragic  farce  as  we  ourselves. 
We  had  only  to  wait  a  short  time  for  the  first 
faint  rays  of  daylight  to  direct  the  guns  on  the 
quartels  or  barracks  in  the  plaza ;  then  we 
fired.  The  unstable  structure  actually  rocked 
with  the  recoil ;  the  cross  timbers  were  not 
fastened  to  each  other,  and  a  few  such  shocks 
must  inevitably  have  set  them  sliding :  but  we 
were  not  destined  to  go  down  by  that  method, 
for  immediately  two  or  three  round  shots 
screamed  over  our  heads,  and  then,  while  our 
Colonel  was  remedying  some  displacement  of 
the  timbers  caused  by  the  recoil  of  our  guns,  a 
twenty-four  pound  shot  struck  the  trestle  under 
our  feet,  the  splinters  flying  in  all  directions. 
What  followed  I  have  a  very  vague  idea  of. 
It  seemed  as  if  we  were  being  pounded  by  a 
trip-hammer  in  full  swing.  I  found  myself 
scrambling  away  from  the  debris  of  the  trestle, 


76      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

which  was  scattered  all  over  the  earth,  and  as 
I  was  not  much  hurt,  I  was  soon  ready  to  join 
my  friends  and  the  spectators  generally  in  the 
uproarious  merriment  which  the  ridiculous 
fiasco  evoked. 

It  was  strange  that,  though  the  demolition 
of  the  structure  was  complete,  very  little  per- 
sonal damage  had  been  done,  either  by  shot  or 
falling  guns  and  timbers.  To  those  of  us  who 
had  any  knowledge  of  affairs  at  head-quarters, 
it  became  apparent  about  this  time  that  some 
important  movement  was  in  contemplation. 
Our  condition  forbade  any  possibly  successful 
aggressive  action,  and  one  alternative  only  re- 
mained— namely,  the  evacuation  of  our  pres- 
ent position. 

One  morning,  after  reporting  at  head-quar- 
ters, in  answer  to  a  summons  from  the  Com- 
manding General,  I  was  requested  by  Jerez  to 
select  from  the  different  companies  in  the  can- 
tonment sixty  of  the  most  expert  marksmen,  and 
form  with  them  a  company  of  native  riflemen. 

I  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  requisite 
number  of  volunteers  willing  to  exchange  the 
musket  and  a  native  commander  for  a  rifle  and 
service  under  "El  Capitan  California."  As 
I  selected  the  best  soldiers,  though  naturally 


The  "Filibuster  "•  War  in  Nicaragua.     77 

against  the  will  of  their  officers,  I  got  together 
a  very  efficient  body  of  men. 

When  I  received  General  Jerez'  orders  to 
form  this  company,  he  told  me  that  a  very  re- 
sponsible service  would  soon  devolve  on  me,  for 
which  he  desired  me  to  have  reliable  men.  This 
special  service  was  to  take  command  of  the  rear- 
guard with  my  own  and  the  company  of  Captain 
Chevas  in  the  evacuation  of  the  cantonment. 

I  felt  honored  by  the  distinction.  The  rear 
would  be  the  only  point  exposed  to  the  assault 
of  the  enemy,  who  would  doubtless  harass  a 
force  abandoning  its  position.  I  suggested  to 
General  Guerrero  that  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men  was  a  scanty  allowance  for  this  duty.  He 
replied  that  as  every  resource  which  they  could 
muster  would  be  necessary  for  the  successful 
attack  which  they  purposed  making  on  the 
town  of  Massaya,  about  eighteen  miles  dis- 
tant, garrisoned  by  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy, 
he  hoped  I  would  do  my  best  with  my  two 
companies.  "  Es  el  Pueste  de  honor  mi  Cap- 
itan"  said  the  wily  old  chief,  who  well  knew 
how  to  make  an  effectual  appeal  to  the  pride 
of  youth ;  and  although  I  would  rather  have 
had  more  men  even  at  the  expense  of  some 
honor,  I  bowed  acquiescence, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Evacuation  of  the  cantonment  at  Granada — Severe  fighting  and  loss 
in  my  company — A  Bongo  cruise  on  Lake  Managua — An  earth- 
quake— Arrival  at  Leon — Amusements  and  gayety. 

IT  was  near  daylight  before  we  accomplished 
the  tedious  process  of  getting  the  ord- 
nance and  commissariat  stores,  together  with 
the  impedimenta  and  camp  followers,  under 
way.  Then  I  could  relinquish  the  position 
held  all  night,  in  order  to  check  the  skirmishing 
attempts  of  the  enemy  trying  to  find  out 
whether  our  move  indicated  a  real  evacuation, 
or  was  merely  a  feint  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing an  assault  on  their  beloved  plaza. 

When  I  finally  gave  the  welcome  order  to 
file  into  the  Massaya  road,  the  pale  streaks  of 
approaching  dawn  were  visible  in  the  eastern 
sky. 

We  had  barely  reached  the  Campo  Santo,  a 
mile  outside  the  town,  when  the  halt  of  the  mass 
of  women  and  children  constituting  the  wives 
and  families  of  the  soldiers,  and  of  the  various 

78 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      79 

camp  followers,  blocked  the  road  ahead.  By 
sending  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  delay,  I  found 
that  the  heavy  artillery,  which  Radicate,  with 
his  usual  injudiciousness,  was  endeavoring  to 
convey  over  muddy  roads,  was  stuck  fast. 

An  hour's  unsuccessful  effort  at  releasing  it 
was  wasted,  and  then  the  cannon  were  spiked 
and  abandoned.  Meantime  the  main  body, 
by  pushing  on  toward  Massaya,  had  satisfied 
the  enemy  of  the  object  of  the  movement,  so 
that  they  turned  their  attention  to  reinforcing 
Massaya  and  harassing  our  retreat.  As  the 
country  through  which  we  were  marching  was  a 
swamp,  over  which  a  corduroy  road  offered 
the  only  means  of  passage  for  a  body  of 
troops  in  support  of  Massaya,  their  efforts  to 
break  through  the  slender  barrier  became 
furious.  In  the  scanty  forest  my  soldiers  were 
able  partially  to  protect  themselves  from  the 
shower  of  bullets  which  flew  thick  after  us, 
and  the  narrow  pass  helped  me  to  hold  my 
own  against  superior  numbers. 

In  this  way  we  continued,  fighting  and 
slowly  falling  back,  during  most  of  the  day. 
The  beams  of -the  torrid  sun  poured  on  our 
heads  and  added  to  the  exhaustion  necessarily 
resulting  from  the  great  activity  required  to 


8o      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

keep  the  constantly  pressing  enemy  in  check. 
I  had  to  be  wherever  the  attack  was  hardest, 
and  seemed  doomed  to  fall,  so  constant  was 
my  exposure.  Hoping  against  hope  for  rein- 
forcements, requests  for  which  I  had  repeat- 
edly sent,  we  fought  doggedly  through  the 
weary  hours.  Near  Massaya  the  ground  was 
higher,  and  the  enemy  sought,  by  passing 
around  us,  to  succor  their  garrison,  which  the 
sound  of  heavy  firing  ahead  told  us  was  en- 
gaged with  our  main  body.  The  relief  we 
obtained  by  the  enemy's  lateral  movement  to 
the  support  of  Massaya  was  counterbalanced 
by  the  exposure  of  our  flank  on  the  more  open 
country.  They  were  not  slow  to  seize  this 
advantage,  and  while  repelling  an  assault  here 
we  temporarily  left  the  road  open  in  the  rear. 
Of  this  we  were  speedily  apprised  by  the 
screaming  of  women  and  musketry-fire  in 
their  direction.  Hastening  back,  we  found 
the  enemy  shooting  and  bayoneting  the  dense 
throng  of  frightened  and  defenceless  women 
and  children,  whose  bodies,  arrayed  in  poor 
finery,  their  long,  dishevelled  tresses  trailing 
in  the  dust,  were  a  sad  addition  to  the  day's 
slaughter.  We  quickly  came  up  with  them, 
still  engaged  in  their  dastardly  work,  and  I 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      81 

venture  to  say  that  the  fire  we  poured  into 
them  was  more  fatal  than  any  they  had  before 
received. 

We  soon  had  the  road  to  ourselves,  and 
were  joined  by  the  remnant  of  the  miserable 
camp  people. 

The  movement  necessary  for  forcing  the 
enemy  back  from  our  flank,  and  the  steady 
advance  of  the  main  body  had  completely  iso- 
lated us  from  our  army,  of  whose  position  we 
could  judge  only  by  the  firing  in  the  distance. 

The  ground  was  now  a  wide  plain,  suffi- 
ciently overgrown  with  shrubs  to  conceal  an 
enemy,  and  as  I  only  had  about  fifty  men  left 
out  of  the  two  companies  with  which  I  had 
left  Granada,  it  seemed  to  me  wise  to  await 
approaching  darkness  rather  than,"  by  attempt- 
ing to  march  in  daylight,  draw  attention  to 
the  smallness  of  my  force. 

We  were  indeed  a  forlorn  remnant.  The 
tremendous  physical  exertions  I  had  under- 
gone, combined  with  such  intense  thirst  that 
my  swollen  tongue  actually  refused  utterance, 
compelled  me  to  seek  a  temporary  rest.  Some 
of  the  poor  women  whom  we  had  rescued  from 
the  slaughter,  seeing  my  great  need  of  a  drink 
of  water,  offered  to  go  to  a  group  of  houses  at 


82       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

a  little  distance  in  search  of  some,  although 
the  chance  of  falling  into  an  ambush  of  the 
enemy  was  very  great.  This  I  at  first  would 
not  permit,  but  finally  consented  to  by  accom- 
panying them.  We  found  plenty  of  water  and 
no  enemy. 

No  sooner  had  night  fallen  than  we  moved 
towards  the  town.  The  firing  had  ceased 
some  time  before,  and  as  no  triumphant  peal 
of  bells  had  rung  out,  we  knew  that  the 
Democrats  had  failed  to  capture  the  place. 
Some  of  the  women  were  familiar  with  the  en- 
virons, and  with  their  aid  I  endeavored  to 
reach  the  Managua  road,  rightly  guessing 
that  Jerez  would  place  himself  on  that  side  of 
the  enemy  which  would  give  him  communica- 
tion with  Leon.  The  light  skirmish  fire  and 
the  barking  of  dogs  soon  indicated  to  us  the 
course  of  our  troops.  It  was  near  midnight 
when  we  encountered  our  outposts,  the  army 
having  gone  into  camp  on  the  Managua  road. 
We  were  admitted  within  the  lines,  and  as  I 
wished  to  avoid  the  chance  of  having  a  guard 
detail  made  from  my  greatly  fatigued  men,  I 
deferred  reporting  my  arrival,  directing  the 
men  to  sleep  on  their  arms. 

So  profound   was  my  sleep,   although    my 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     83 

bed  was  the  bare  ground,  that  I  was  only 
awakened  by  the  notes  of  the  reveille,  and,  as  I 
found  a  general  preparation  for  marching 
going  on,  I  reported  my  arrival  to  the  officer 
of  the  day.  While  the  men  were  preparing 
such  breakfast  as  the  exigencies  of  the  situation 
permitted,  I  called  on  General  Jerez,  who  ex- 
pressed himself  highly  pleased  at  the  persist- 
ence with  which  the  rear-guard  had  kept  the 
enemy  back,  and  did  not  seem  surprised  at  the 
heavy  loss  sustained. 

I  found  that  no  further  attempt  was  to  be 
made  on  Massaya,  indeed  the  demonstration 
of  the  previous  day  had  been  more  a  feint  to 
draw  the  enemy's  attention  from  the  real  ob- 
ject, which  was  to  return  to  Leon.  By  aban- 
doning for  the  present  the  oriental  and  meridi- 
onal departments  of  Granada  and  Rivas,  the 
Democrats  assured  themselves  of  the  sover- 
eignty over  the  rest  of  the  State,  with  the  fair 
hope  that  the  prevalence  of  popular  ideas 
would  ultimately  produce  a  reconciliation  with 
the  claims  of  the  opposing  faction. 

The  march  was  resumed  with  the  adjuncts 
of  music  and  flying  colors,  intended  as  an  indi- 
cation that  we  were  only  going  away  because 
we  wanted  to,  and  that  if  the  enemy  was  dis- 


84      The  l' Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

posed  to  knock  the  chip  from  our  shoulders, 
we  were  ready  to  give  them  a  chance.  They, 
however,  were  content,  and  probably  glad  to 
let  us  depart  unmolested,  and  we  soon  reached 
the  shore  of  Lake  Managua,  where  it  was  de- 
cided to  embark  the  artillery  and  heavy  stores 
on  a  fleet  of  bongos,  awaiting  us  at  that  place. 

During  the  fight  on  the  previous  day,  a 
musket  ball,  which  had  been  deflected  from 
my  leg  by  the  scabbard  of  my  sword,  had  pro- 
duced a  bruise  which  at  the  time  I  had  paid  no 
attention  to  ;  it  was  now  painful  and  my  leg 
swollen,  and  as  some  of  the  wounded  were 
going  to  be  sent  in  the  bongos,  I  asked  per- 
mission to  accompany  them.  This  was  readily 
granted,  and  I  secured  a  place  for  my  blankets 
and  myself  between  two  brass  field-pieces,  the 
cargo  of  a  large  canoe  or  bongo,  in  preference 
to  herding  with  the  wounded  soldiers,  in  a  more 
commodious  craft. 

As  the  picturesque  line  of  marching  soldiers 
filed  along  the  road  skirting  the  shore  of  the 
lake,  to  the  inspiring  strains  of  martial  music, 
our  bongos  and  launches  spread  their  sails  to 
the  gentle  breeze  that  wafted  us  over  the  peace- 
ful bosom  of  the  lake.  Peaceful  we  soon  found, 
near  the  shores  only,  for  though  the  breeze  was 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     85 

only  moderate,  the  swell  further  out  was  too 
heavy  for  our  fragile  and  overladen  craft,  and 
the  boatmen  were  fain  to  skirt  the  shore  rather 
than  trust  the  stronger  winds  of  the  middle  of 
the  lake, 

The  change  from  the  dust  and  fatigue  of 
the  march,  and  the  reaction  of  rest  and  quiet, 
as  well  as  safety,  made  the  repose  doubly  grate- 
ful to  me.  I  enjoyed  the  lazy  motion-  of  the 
canoe,  and  the  quaint  songs  of  the  boatmen, 
as  we  glided  near  the  vine-draped  crags  or 
sandy  coves. 

So  quiet  was  our  progress  along  these  emer- 
ald shores,  that  I  often  shot  the  pavo  del  monte, 
or  tufted  wild  turkey,  and  the  wild  guinea  fowl, 
as  they  sought  their  food  among  the  dry  leaves, 
or  rested  on  the  lower  branches  of  the  trees 
by  the  water.  At  night,  when  we  hauled  the 
bongos  on  the  beach,  the  supper  was  prepared 
by  the  fire  lighted  on  the  sand,  and  as  we  had 
ample  provision  of  chocolate,  plantains,  and 
other  vegetables,  with  the  wild  birds  I  had 
shot,  our  fare  was  of  the  best.  The  peace- 
fulness  of  the  repose  beneath  the  spangled 
heavens,  where  no  dread  sound  of  war's  alarm 
was  apprehended,  was  peculiarly  pleasant  to 
my  wearied  condition  of  mind  and  body.  I 


86      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

could  fully  appreciate  that  luxurious  inertness, 
which  is  the  normal  condition  of  the  unedu- 
cated Central  American. 

In  the  early  morning  the  wind  was  usually 
a  little  fresh,  then  we  hugged  the  shore,  or 
sought  a  sheltered  cove,  and  tied  up  until  the 
wind  moderated.  Thus,  on  the  second  after- 
noon of  our  voyage  we  landed  for  the  night  at 
the  foot  of  the  volcano,  Monotombito.  As  the 
sun  was  still  high  in  the  heavens,  I  climbed  the 
steep  mountain-side,  over  blocks  of  scoria  and 
lava,  which  afforded  a  passage-way,  rough,  but 
less  fatiguing  than  that  of  the  loose,  soft  ashes 
above  them. 

As  the  labor  of  climbing  produced  great 
pain  in  my  swollen  knee,  I  had  to  give  it  up, 
and  return  to  the  boats.  The  next  morning 
we  "arrived  at  the  debar  coder o>  where  carts  with 
oxen  attached  were  awaiting  to  receive  our 
heavy  cargoes. 

Here  we  began  a  slow  progress  through  the 
woods  around  the  base  of  the  mighty  volcano, 
Monotombo,  whose  extinct  prototype  I  had 
partially  ascended  on  the  previous  day. 

The  lurid  fires  from  the  crater  of  this  vol- 
cano illumined  by  night  the  sky  above,  and 
was  visible  at  vast  distances. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     87 

Warnings  of  the  hidden  force  pent  up  within 
had  been  frequent  of  late,  in  slight  shiverings 
of  the  earth  and  the  ejection  of  ashes  and 
vapor.  It  was  my  fortune  to  witness  an 
extraordinary  exhibition  of  its  power,  more 
violent  than  any  for  many  years.  The  long 
line  of  carts  was  winding  along  the  forest 
road,  whose  soft  surface  gave  forth  no  sound 
beneath  the  broad  wheels,  which  were  simple 
sections  of  the  trunks  of  trees,  bored  through 
the  centre  to  admit  the  wooden  axle.  The 
friction  of  these  axles,  when  not  lubricated,  as 
was  the  custom,  with  the  bark  of  some  gum- 
exuding  tree,  caused  sounds  the  reverse  of 
melodious.  The  monkeys  and  forest  birds 
seemed  to  vie  in  their  vocal  efforts  with  this 
discordant  sound,  so  that  our  advent  in  these 
domains  of  savage  nature  greatly  disturbed  its 
normal  quiet.  I  was  reclining  on  my  blankets, 
which  had  been  arranged  on  some  gun-car- 
riages in  one  of  the  carts,  when  I  became 
conscious  of  a  sudden  cessation  of  the  usual 
accompaniment  of  sound  and  motion.  Some- 
thing seemed  to  have  cast  a  spell  over  the 
scene. 

The  long  file  of  men  and  oxen  had  come  to 
a  sudden  halt.  Silence  succeeded  to  the  vari- 


88      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

otis  noises  of  the  march  and  of  the  forest 
denizens.  The  men,  who  had  been  driving 
the  oxen  and  beguiling  the  way  with  the  usual 
objurgations  which  the  Spanish  carretero  deems 
fit  for  the  efficient  service  of  his  calling,  as 
stimulant  to  the  dumb  beast,  were  on  their 
knees  in  the  road,  hat  in  hand,  busily  mutter- 
ing prayers  to  their  favorite  saints.  I  scarcely 
comprehended  the  meaning  of  the  scene  until 
the  variously  muttered  words  "  un  tremblor  " 
and  the  slight  shivering  of  the  cart  apprised 
me  that  the  dreaded  earthquake  was  upon  us. 
The  motion  increased  to  a  violent  shaking  and 
then  to  a  heaving  like  the  billows  of  the  ocean. 
As  the  shaking  became  more  violent,  the  fall 
of  numerous  decayed  and  unstable  trees  and 
branches  in  the  surrounding  forest  bore  evi- 
dence to  the  extent  of  the  disturbance,  while 
the  swaying  of  the  living  trees  in  the  calm  air 
was  testimony  to  its  force. 

The  wave  passed  along  and — it  was  gone. 

The  oxen,  without  orders,  resumed  their 
slow  pace ;  the  drivers  renewed  their  various 
expletives  to  urge  them  to  greater  speed,  and 
the  creaking  of  the  wheels  blended  again  with 
the  scream  of  monkey  and  parrot.  An  earth- 
quake was  of  too  common  occurrence  in  this 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     89 

land  of  the  sun  and  fire  to  create  any  impres- 
sion after  the  danger  was  over.  But  for  three 
days  thereafter  the  volcano  poured  forth  ashes 
that  literally  covered  the  plain  of  Leon  over 
an  area  of  hundreds  of  miles,  so  that  the 
landscape  had  the  wintry  appearance  of  fallen 
snow. 

When  I  arrived  at  Leon  the  troops  were 
already  there.  Although  they  had  not  been 
successful  in  vanquishing  the  Church  oligarchy, 
they  had  circumscribed  their  rule  within  the 
limits  of  the  oriental  department  and  such 
localities  as  were  accessible  by  lake  navigation, 
the  facilities  for  which  were  not  possessed  by 
the  Democrats.  Their  reception  was,  in  con- 
sequence, an  ovation.  Although  a  foreigner, 
being  a  survivor  of  the  little  band  of  strangers 
that  had  done  good  service  in  the  cause,  my 
welcome  by  the  kindly  Leonese  was  cordial  in 
the  extreme.  The  fine  house  and  grounds  of  a 
padre,  whose  estate  had  been  sequestrated  be- 
cause of  his  adherence  to  the  party  of  Granada, 
were  assigned  for  my  use  and  for  those  other 
Americans  who  had  served  in  the  army. 

In  the  arborescent  court  of  this  fine  mansion, 
where  the  water  of  a  fountain  sparkled  in  the 
sunlight,  and  hammocks  were  fastened  between 


90      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  trees,  I  enjoyed  a  period  of  repose,  delight- 
ful after  the  excitement  and  fatigue  incident  to 
the  life  in  the  army. 

Many  weeks  I  passed  in  this  pleasant  re- 
treat. Leon  was  gay,  after  the  fashion  of 
Spanish-American  gayety. 

The  guitar  and  marimbo  were  in  great 
request. 

The  impassioned  improvisatore  sang  and 
twanged  his  instrument  beneath  the  balconies, 
and  the  baile,  in  its  varieties  of  cachuco,  fan- 
dango, and  bolera,  was  danced  in  hall  and  under 
the  moon's  pale  light. 

Horseback  riding  is  here  the  only  means  of 
locomotion  outside  the  city — at  least  for  the 
young,  who  do  not  care  for  the  slow,  canopied 
ox-cart  in  which  elderly  ladies  sometimes 
smoke  their  cigaritos  and  chat  while  being 
conveyed  to  and  fro  between  the  distant  hacien- 
das and  the  town.  So  riding  is  common  alike 
to  women  and  children,  who,  when  not  riding 
en  pillon  with  a  gentleman,  use  the  short  stir- 
rups and  sit  astride  the  horse's  back,  as  do  the 
Arabs,  and  who  from  constant  practice  become 
very  accomplished. 

As  Leon  and  its  vicinity  was  the  home  of 
many  of  the  friends  I  had  made  in  the  army,  I 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     91 

was  at  no  loss  for  society,  and  shared  in  all 
amusements.  Then  Leon  in  itself  was  very 
beautiful.  Characterized  by  a  friar  chronicler 
of  the  olden  time  as  "  A  Mahomet's  Paradise." 
Also  famed  for  the  beauty  of  its  Moorish 
architecture,  and  especially  for  the  loveliness 
of  its  natural  surroundings. 

From  the  roof  of  its  Cathedral  of  Saint 
Peter,  which  has  sustained  the  shock  of  recoil 
from  a  battery  of  thirty  pieces  of  artillery 
during  that  dread  siege  of  1823,  when  "  a 
thousand  houses  were  burned  in  a  single 
night,"  can  be  seen  in  one  view  thirteen  vol- 
canoes ! — a  view  in  many  respects  unequalled 
for  variety  and  grandeur  in  the  world. 

The  noble  cathedral,  built  at  a  cost  of  five 
million  dollars  when  labor  was  valued  at  about 
a  shilling  a  day,  was  completed  in  thirty-seven 
years,  and  has  retained  for  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years  its  strength  and  beauty  of  outline.  One 
tower  was  indeed  riven  by  lightning,  which 
did  not  damage  the  body  of  the  church. 
These  reminiscences  of  that  reposeful  life  at 
Leon,  contrasting  so  vividly  with  the  eventful 
experiences  at  Granada,  have  blended  in  one 
picture  seen  in  the  vista  of  departed  years. 

Thought  reverts  to  that  time,  and  I  seem  to 


92      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

hear  the  peal  from  that  old  campanile  in  the 
church  at  Granada  ;  the  feu  de  joie  of  the 
cannon,  the  clash  of  cymbals,  and  fanfare  of 
trumpets — the  semi-barbaric  Moorish  music. 
Then  appears  the  long  procession  of  mitred 
and  surpliced  clergy  passing  between  walls  of 
soldiery,  whose  colors  are  veiled  in  honor  of 
a  Church  that  oppresses  them  on  earth,  per- 
haps, but  holds  the  heritage  of  paradise  for 
true  believers.  Thanks  are  to  be  rendered 
to  the  Most  High  for  victories  in  a  people's 
cause,  for  the  Church  is  wise  as  well  as  power- 
ful, and  lends  her  countenance  to  all  parties 
who  are  faithful. 

There  stands  the  thrice  gallant  Jerez,  the 
chivalrous  Valle,  the  noble  Pineda.  Where 
are  they  now  ? 

And  where  the  careless  heart  that  beat  re- 
sponsive to  high  impulse — to  reckless  daring  ? 

The  purple  haze  still  lifts  from  the  lake  as 
of  old.  The  birds  sing  in  the  tropic  forest, 
and  the  flowers  bloom  by  the  wayside.  Nature 
smiles  as  serenely  as  ever.  But  man  has  his 
little  day,  and  then  "  he  is  seen  no  more  for- 
ever." And  so  with  man's  works. 

Lizards  now  bask  in  the  mellow  sunshine  on 
the  ruined  walls  of  Granada,  There  came  a 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     93 

day  when  the  fair  and  picturesque  city,  whose 
antique,  sun-embrowned,  Moresco  architecture 
had  so  long  reflected  the  tropic  sun-rays,  and 
given  back  the  moon's  pale  beams  in  softer 
light,  and  whose  hardened  cement  seemed 
to  defy  the  slow  assaults  of  time,  crumbled 
before  the  blows  of  the  sapper  and  the  blast 
of  the  mine.  "Aqui  fue  Granada  " — "  Here 
was  Granada  " — -wrote  General  Henningsen 
over  the  ruins  he  had  made,  when  his  gallant 
band  of  heroes  could  no  longer  hold  the  place 
against  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the 
enemy.  Forcing  the  armed  cordon  which  sur- 
rounded them,  they  left  behind  but  a  barren 
victory. 

But  these  are  the  tales  of  unsung  heroism. 
The  world  is  full  of  such,  and  he  was  a  wise 
man  who  said  : 

"  Nothing  succeeds  like  success." 


CHATER   VII. 

El  Tamarinda — Trip  to  Honduras — Return  to  Leon — Arrival  of 
General  Munos — Vacillating  policy — Advent  of  the  ' '  Filibusters  " 
— Their  impressions  of  the  country — Jarring  councils — Military 
expedition  to  the  Department -Meridional — Night  march— Capture 
of  enemy's  picket. 

THE  extensive  estate  of  my  friend  Gen- 
eral Don  Mateo  Pineda  included  that 
part  of  the  sea-coast  known  as  El  Tamarinda, 
renowned  for  its  surf-bathing  facilities,  situated 
about  twenty  miles  from  Leon.  I  was  included 
in  the  party  composed  of  his  family  and  friends 
invited  to  make  a  camping  excursion  to  this 
favorite  spot.  As  the  journey  was  to  be  made 
on  horseback,  the  provisions,  camp  equipage, 
and  servants  going  on  the  day  before  in  carts, 
some  of  us  were  anxious  to  know  what  particu- 
lar lady  would  be  assigned  to  our  special  pro- 
tection on  the  way.  Many  of  the  young  ladies 
rode  en  pillon  with  a  gentleman  friend  instead 
of  alone.  The  friend  was  chosen  by  a  parent 
or  relation  of  the  demoiselle.  I  was,  therefore, 
flattered  when  the  General  requested  me  to 

94 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     95 

escort  his  niece,  a  lively  miss  of  some  sixteen 
summers,  who  carried  a  much  beribboned 
guitar  over  her  shoulder.  As  the  gayly 
equipped  cavalcade  rode  through  the  streets  it 
was  pleasant  to  notice  the  cordial  and  affec- 
tionate greetings  of  the  populace,  the  gentle- 
men of  the  party  being  almost  without  excep- 
tion military  chiefs  in  the  army.  Passing 
through  the  suburb  of  Subtiaba,  which  still 
contains  the  idols  and  carved  work  of  that 
ancient  semi-civilization  which  pre-dated  the 
founding  of  Leon  in  1610,  we  were  soon  on 
the  open  plain  which  extended  to  the  coast, 
whose  sand  dunes  were  visible  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

As  we  had  started  late  in  the  afternoon,  the 
moon  illuminated  our  way  across  the  sandy 
waste  bordering  the  sea,  the  beat  of  whose 
surf  had  been  for  some  time  audible  before 
we  caught  a  view  of  the  flashing  breakers. 
Then  the  bright  blaze  of  the  camp  fire  and 
the  savory  odor  of  cooking  viands  greeted  our 
senses,  and  as  our  ride  of  twenty  miles  had 
prepared  us  to  do  justice  to  the  good  things 
awaiting  us,  we  were  soon  seated  on  the  white 
sand  around  the  dried  bullocks'  hides  on  which 
was  spread  the  ample  feast. 


96      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Little  ceremony  is  needed  on  these  occasions, 
and  I  venture  to  say  that  a  merrier  party  than 
ours  is  rarely  gathered  together. 

Tall  pines  waved  their  fragrant  canopies 
above  us.  The  blazing  fires  and  flashing  spray 
illumined  the  scene,  and  the  balmy  air  from  the 
tropic  sea  refreshed  us  as  it  swept  by.  Then, 
after  a  stroll  along  the  moonlit  beach,  our 
blankets  were  spread  under  the  fragrant  pines, 
'neath  the  starry  sky,  and  our  sleep  was  lulled 
by  the  rhythmic  beat  of  the  surf. 

The  next  day  was  devoted  to  the  more  per- 
manent adjustments  of  the  camp,  as  we  pur- 
posed remaining  a  week  or  two.  Poles  were 
lashed  from  tree  to  tree  and  placed  across  ;  on 
these,  pine  boughs  were  thrown,  making  a  shel- 
ter from  the  light  dews  and  spray.  As  this 
was  the  dry  season,  no  further  protection  was 
required  for  perfect  comfort.  The  bathing 
was  delightful,  the  water  refreshing  without 
chilling  us. 

I  fancy  that  our  life  on  this  shore  of  the 
great  Pacific  Ocean — still  fringed  with  the 
primeval  forests — though  unaccompanied  by  the 
thousand  and  one  modern  improvements  con- 
sidered by  many  as  essentials  of  life,  was  more 
enjoyable,  and  certainly  more  restful,  than  that 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      97 

of  the  favored  few  whom  it  is  the  ambition  of 
a  majority  of  the  world  to  emulate. 

We  bathed  at  break  of  day ;  no  hardship, 
this,  as  the  Central  American  has  learned  to 
utilize,  for  business  and  recreation,  the  pleas- 
antest  of  the  hours,  the  noontide  being  given 
up  to  repose.  Chocolate  and  biscoche,  a  kind 
of  sweet  cake,  made  the  early  breakfast,  a  later 
one  succeeding  at  ten  o'clock,  by  which  time  I 
had  generally  "bagged  "  a  deer,  a  wild  turkey 
or  two,  or  something  equally  adaptable  to  cu- 
linary uses. 

After  breakfast  Pineda,  Don  Justo,  the  good 
Padre  Jerez,  who  was  also  of  the  party,  and 
myself,  often  discussed  philosophical  questions, 
in  which  Don  Justo,  considering  the  time  and 
place,  was  not  to  be  despised.  Indeed,  I  was 
delighted  to  find,  widely  as  I  was  separated  by 
nationality  and  antecedents  from  these  people, 
that  not  a  few  among  the  better  educated  were 
in  accord  with  the  advanced  modern  thought 
on  the  to  me  superlatively  interesting  topics 
which  teach  that  "  the  proper  study  of  man- 
kind is  man." 

Our  discussions  often  scandalized  the  good 
Padre — good  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word, 
for  he  was  ever  found  where  suffering  and  want 


98      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

called  for  aid,  on  the  battle-field  regardless  of 
personal  danger,  and  equally  so  in  the  pesti- 
lence-visited hospitals,  humble  and  unassuming, 
as  was  the  Master  whom  he  reverently  served, 
but  withal  bigoted  in  favor  of  holy  mother 
Church,  whose  waning  power  he  assured  us  he 
never  more  regretted  than  when  listening  to 
the  heretical  discourse  of  Don  Justo  and  my- 
self, who  he  said  were  proper  subjects  for  an 
auto-da-fe. 

Argument  was,  of  course  out  of  the  ques- 
tion with  him,  as  his  logic  began  and  ended 
with  the  authoritative  dogma  which  excluded 
the  possibility  of  error  from  a  Church,  the  keys 
of  which  had  been  handed  to  St.  Peter,  with 
the  promise  that  what  he  and  his  successors 
should  bind  and  loosen  should  be  final.  When 
I  told  him  that  his  conclusions,  considered  as 
a  sequence  to  his  premises,  were  irrefutable, 
he  seemed  puzzled,  but  supposed  that  I  was 
laughing  at  him. 

Of  course  our  time  was  varied  with  other 
amusements  than  philosophical  discussion,  gui- 
tar music  and  singing,  cards,  etc.  Occasionally 
Mendez  and  Pineda  would  accompany  me  in 
my  hunting  excursions,  which,  to  save  fatigue, 
were  usually  made  on  horseback.  Once  we 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.     99 

came  upon  a  puma,  or  tigre,  as  he  is  there 
called.  He  was  directly  in  the  little  bridle- 
path we  were  following  through  the  shrubby 
growth  of  the  vicinity. 

"  Look,  Capitan"  shouted  Pineda,  who 
chanced  to  be  in  advance.  "Mire  el  tigre!" 
See  the  tiger.  The  beautiful  spotted  beast  was 
standing  in  the  path  with  head  erect  and  tail 
gently  waving  from  side  to  side,  regarding  us 
apparently  with  surprise  mingled  with  fear.  I 
was  off  my  horse  and  had  thrown  my  reata  to 
Mendez  in  a  moment,  and  as  quickly  the  rifle 
was  at  my  shoulder,  but  as  the  beast's  head 
interfered  with  my  aim  at  a  vital  spot,  I  waited 
a  few  moments  until  he  slightly  turned  his 
gaze  to  one  side,  leaving  his  throat  exposed, 
then  I  sent  the  fatal  bullet  to  his  heart. 

Mendez  was  in  raptures,  and  declared  that 
he  and  the  orderly  who  accompanied  us  would 
wait  and  save  the  fine  skin  of  the  animal,  while 
Pineda  and  myself  rode  on.  One  of  Mendez' 
peculiar  tastes,  which  he  could  never  get  the 
rest  of  us  to  conform  to  in  Granada,  was  a  love 
for  baked  cats.  He  generally  had  a  hand  in 
the  cooking,  too,  and  after  dinner  on  this  day, 
when  we  jwere  all  smoking  the  inevitable  cigar- 
ritos,  he  remarked  in  a  casual  way  that  he  had 


ioo      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

noticed  that  Donna  Pineda  and  Don  Justo 
and  El  Capitan  California  had  enjoyed  the  ex- 
cellent hash.  When  we  assented,  he  said  he 
hoped  we  would  now  admit  that  our  dislike 
for  cat-diet  had  been  prejudiced,  for  the  hash 
was  tiger-hash,  ordering  Chico  at  the  same 
time  to  exhibit  the  great  cat-like  paw  of  the 
beast,  as  corroborative  of  his  assertion.  Of 
course  we  were  all  made  sick  by  the  revelation, 
but  as  Mendez  was  a  licensed  rough  jester,  we 
could  do  nothing  with  him. 

I  subsequently  killed  another  of  these  beau- 
tiful animals,  as  well  as  numerous  beasts  and 
reptiles  only  seen  in  northern  countries  in  the 
menageries.  After  two  weeks  of  this  life, 
during  which  we  visited  the  contiguous  es- 
tates and  had  a  very  enjoyable  time,  we  re- 
turned to  Leon.  Finding  that  there  was  no 
immediate  prospect  for  a  renewal  of  operations 
against  the  enemy,  I  sought  and  obtained 
leave  to  visit  the  gold  mines  of  the  District  of 
Olancho  in  Honduras,  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  distant,  whither  two  of  my  former  rifle- 
men, who  had  recovered  convalescence  in  the 
quiet  life  at  Leon,  agreed  to  accompany  me. 

We  started  on  horseback,  a  blanket  and  a 
little  provision  of  fine  groceries  and  a  few 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      101 

simple  cooking  utensils  being  all  that  we  re- 
quired to  supplement  the  hospitable  fare  we 
were  sure  to  be  provided  with  by  the  inhabi- 
tants by  the  way,  to  whom  in  those  sparsely 
settled  districts  the  advent  of  a  traveller  from  the 
cities  of  the  great  world  was  a  benefit  con- 
ferred, far  greater  than  any  return  in  the  shape 
of  a  night's  lodging  and  food. 

For  two  or  three  days  after  we  left  the  great 
plain  of  Leon  we  rode  through  the  woods, 
over  the  broad  national  roadway,  made  in  the 
days  of  Spanish  power.  This  road  bore  evi- 
dence in  its  general  structure  to  the  enterprise 
of  that  people,  just  as  its  utterly  neglected 
condition  testified  to  the  degeneracy  of  their 
descendants. 

After  passing  through  the  ancient  and  con- 
siderable town  of  Choluteca  in  Honduras,  we 
had  encamped  for  the  night  by  the  way-side 
on  some  elevated  ground,  chosen  to  avoid  the 
insects  which  swarmed  in  the  lower  lands.  Our 
supper  of  broiled  venison,  roasted  plantains, 
and  chocolate  had  been  disposed  of,  and  as  we 
lay  on  our  blankets  near  the  bright  fire  which 
had  served  to  cook  our  supper,  we  were 
startled  by  the  familiar  hail  from  out  the  dark- 
ness of  the  road  "Quien  vive."  It  proved  to 


IO2      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

be  Colonel  Rubio  of  Honduras,  whom  I  had 
known  as  belonging  to  the  Honduras  contin- 
gent in  our  army  at  Granada.  He  was  trav- 
elling with  a  small  escort  from  the  President 
of  Honduras  to  offer  the  Democratic  govern- 
ment at  Leon  the  diplomatic  and  military  ser- 
vices of  General  Mufioz,  now  of  Honduras,  but 
formerly,  I  believe,  of  San  Salvador,  for  the 
prosecution  and  settlement  of  the  differences 
between  the  two  factions  in  Nicaragua. 

Mufioz,  although  he  had  failed  on  a  former 
occasion  in  an  attempt  to  overthrow  the 
Nicaraguan  government  under  the  Presidency 
of  Don  Laureano  Pineda — the  father  of  my 
friend  of  that  name, — was  conceded  on  all 
hands  to  be  the  ablest  soldier  in  Central 
America,  so  that  it  needed  but  little  urging  on 
Rubio's  part  to  induce  me  to  return,  feeling 
sure  that  Munoz's  advent  in  Nicaragua  would 
be  the  signal  for  a  move  upon  the  enemy. 
Accordingly  we  returned,  and  a  few  days 
thereafter  were  again  installed  in  our  old 
quarters  in  Leon. 

General  Munoz's  arrival  seemed  to  stir  up 
anew  a  military  spirit.  It  did  not,  however, 
take  long  to  disabuse  the  public  mind  of  the 
hopes  thus  inspired.  Wily  as  he  was  by  na- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      103 

ture,  it  was  plain  that  his  diplomacy  had  the 
one  end  in  view,  that  of  constituting  himself 
the  tertium  quid  or  basis  for  the  new  govern- 
ment, in  which  he  hoped  the  hostile  factions 
would  reconcile  their  differences.  As  soon  as 
I  saw  his  motive,  I  began  to  get  ready  again 
for  the  Honduras  gold  mines. 

The  fates  which  govern  the  fall  of  a  leaf,  as 
they  do  the  affairs  of  men,  were,  however,  pre- 
paring an  element  destined  to  change  the 
vacillating  character  of  the  Democratic  gov- 
ernment. 

In  a  former  chapter  I  alluded  to  the  pres- 
ence in  the  suite  of  the  American  Minister 
who  visited  the  hostile  camps  at  Granada,  of 
certain  emissaries  of  Colonel  William  Walker, 
a  man  then  prominently  before  the  public  on 
account  of  the  unsuccessful  armed  invasion  he 
had  made  on  the  Mexican  provinces  of  Sonora 
and  Lower  California. 

In  consequence  of  the  approval  by  the  gov- 
ernment at  Leon  of  a  certain  contract  with 
Walker  for  supplies  of  men,  mentioned  in  the 
agreement,  for  obvious  reasons,  as  emigrants, 
but  in  reality  soldiers,  Walker  had  sailed  from 
San  Francisco  in  the  brig  Vesta  with  fifty-six 
emigrants,  composed  of  the  most  resolute  and 


1O4      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

daring  men  that  could  be  found  willing  to  en- 
gage in  so  hazardous  an  enterprise  as  that  of 
military  service  in  a  revolutionary  army  en- 
gaged in  a  war  which  was  conducted  on  prin- 
ciples not  recognized  in  civilized  warfare. 

My  first  intimation  of  their  arrival  was,  when 
in  response  to  a  summons  from  President 
Castellon,  he  informed  me  that  Walker  had 
landed  in  the  San  Salvadorean  port  of  La 
Union,  but  had  re-embarked,  and  would  enter 
the  Nicaraguan  harbor  of  Realejo  probably 
during  the  day. 

The  President  desired  me,  with  Dr.  Living- 
stone (ex-American  Consul),  and  Colonel  Ram- 
irez of  the  army,  to  proceed  to  Realejo  and 
convey  to  Walker  and  the  Americans  the  wel- 
come of  the  President  of  Nicaragua. 

We  arrived  at  Realejo  on  horseback,  about 
midnight,  and  found  the  streets  of  that  usually 
quiet  village  crowded  with  armed  Americans, 
who,  in  true  California  style,  were  having 
things  their  own  way.  The  pulperias,  where 
aguardiente  was  sold,  were  doing  a  thriving 
business.  This  and  the  brusque,  aggressive 
manners  of  the  strangers  was  assurance  to  me 
that  I  was  again  among  my  countrymen. 

Colonel  Walker  himself  did  not,  at  the  time, 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      105 

impress  me  as  the  man  of  indomitable  will  and 
energy  which  I  afterwards  found  him  to  be. 
He  was  quiet  and  unassuming,  "  as  mild  a  man- 
nered man  as  ever  cut  a  throat  or  scuttled 
ship." 

A  certain  expression  of  the  eye  would,  how- 
ever, probably  have  indicated  to  a  physiogno- 
mist the  reserve  of  power  veiled  under  so 
placid  an  exterior. 

Although  this  narrative  assumes  to  be  per- 
sonal only,  yet  a  proper  understanding  of  the 
historical  events  with  which  it  is  connected, 
makes  it  imperative  that  a  certain  criticism  of 
the  acts  of  others  should  accompany  the  story. 

As  General  Walker  has  been  regarded, 
almost  more  than  any  other  man,  from  points 
of  view  differing  very  widely,  it  is  proper  that 
I  should  state  in  the  beginning  that,  in  spite 
of  my  admiration  for  this  extraordinary  man 
of  wonderful  energy,  courage,  and  personal 
integrity,  I  yet  was  always  opposed  to  the  in- 
satiable ambition  and  disregard  of  public  or 
private  rights  which  characterized  his  actions 
in  the  one  dominant  pursuit  of  his  life — that  is, 
the  attainment  of  absolute  political  power. 

With  this  explanation  I  shall  proceed  to 
detail  events  as  they  appeared  to  me  with  as 


io6      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

little  prejudice  as  possible.  As  henceforth  the 
most  prominent  character  in  the  affairs  of 
the  Nicaraguan  state  and  Democratic  army 
was  that  of  Colonel  Walker,  a  brief  sketch  of 
his  career  up  to  this  period  may  not  be  out  of 
place. 

William  Walker,  whose  family  is  of  Scotch 
descent,  was  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1824.  His 
education,  which  was  finished  in  the  universi- 
ties of  Paris,  included  a  knowledge  of  the 
French  and  Latin  languages  and  the  medical 
and  legal  professions. 

In  1850  he  emigrated  to  California  and  be- 
came editor  of  the  San  Francisco  Herald.  He 
had  previously  edited  the  Crescent  of  New 
Orleans.  His  first  military  exploit  was  to 
raise  a  band  of  men  with  which  he  invaded  the 
Mexican  states  of  Lower  California  and  So- 
nora.  The  professed  object  of  this  expedition 
was  to  protect  the  people  of  Sonora  against 
the  depredations  of  the  Apache  Indians,  which 
the  Mexican  government  and  that  of  the 
state  itself  had  failed  to  do. 

It  is  true  that  no  authority  from  either  of 
those  governments  had  been  obtained,  and,  in 
the  light  of  Walker's  subsequent  career,  we 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      107 

may  easily  see  that  the  attainment  of  supreme 
power  for  himself  was  the  spring  of  action,  the 
restraining  of  the  Apaches  being  entirely  sub- 
sidiary. From  various  causes,  which  a  less 
sanguine  or  less  fearless  man  might  have  fore- 
seen, but  which  it  is  foreign  to  the  present 
narrative  to  set  forth,  the  attempt  was  a  com- 
plete failure.  The  contract  of  Walker's  emis- 
saries with  the  Nicaraguan  government  reached 
him  about  this  time,  and  no  renewal  of  the 
attempt  was  made. 

Those,  however,  who  see  in  the  character  of 
Colonel  Walker  the  spirit  of  a  mere  buccaneer, 
fail  utterly  to  comprehend  his  nature.  His 
motive  in  seeking  supreme  power  was  not 
like  Aaron  Burr's  ;  but,  rather,  like  the  first 
Napoleon,  who  indeed  was  his  great  exemplar, 
he  conceived  himself  to  be  an  instrument  of 
destiny  before  whom  all  lesser  influences  must 
give  way.  This  confidence  in  his  destiny  led 
him  to  disregard  obstacles  which  might  have 
deterred  other  men,  and  which  in  the  end 
caused  his  downfall.  A  more  conciliatory 
nature,  one  better  adapted  to  conform  to  in- 
evitable circumstances,  joined  with  his  splen- 
did force  of  will  and  magnetism,  would  have 
accomplished  the  difficult  task  he  undertook. 


io8      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

On  the  following  morning  Colonel  Walker 
and  Captains  Hornsby  and  Crocker  accompa- 
nied Doctor  Livingstone  and  myself  back  to 
Leon.  The  strangers  saw  with  surprise  and 
delight  the  beautiful  country  through  which  we 
rode, — its  forest  a  tangled  mass  of  plants  and 
flowers,  with  the  majestic  cones  of  a  dozen 
volcanic  peaks  forming  a  background  towering 
to  the  sky. 

In  the  villages  through  which  we  passed  the 
moss-covered  cottages  and  gigantic  cacti  which 
served  as  fences,  were  evidences  of  antiquity 
and  repose  in  striking  contrast  to  the  busy 
marts  of  trade  to  which  they  were  accustomed. 

About  eight  miles  from  Realejo  we  entered 
the  ancient  and  considerable  town  of  Chinen- 
dega,  beyond  which  towers  the  tall  cone  of  the 
volcano  El  Viejo — the  old. 

A  hundred  and  fifty  years  had  passed  since 
the  Spanish  warrior  colonists,  aided  by  Afri- 
can and  native  Indian  labor,  had  erected  the 
massive  walls  and  laid  in  cement  those  enduring 
pavements  which  to-day  echoed  to  the  tread. 

The  silver-toned  bells,  coeval  with  the  an- 
cient city,  rang  out  their  welcome  for  the 
strangers  who  came  from  afar  to  fight  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  liberty. 


The  " 'Filibuster •"  War  in  Nicaragua.      109 

When  we  arrived  at  Leon,  President  Castel- 
lon  received  Walker  with  cordiality  and  con- 
sideration. The  President's  knowledge  of 
French  was  defective.  Walker  at  that  time 
did  not  speak  Spanish  at  all,  and  I  translated 
for  each.  Walker  seemed  to  be  particularly 
eager  to  encounter  the  enemy.  He  under- 
stood that  by  success  as  a  soldier  only  could 
he  claim  consideration  in  the  country.  Cas- 
tellon,  who  felt  himself  about  equally  exposed 
to  destruction  from  the  hostile  acts  of  the 
enemy  in  arms  against  his  government  and  the 
machinations  of  General  Munoz,  commanding 
his  own  army,  seemed  glad  of  the  interposi- 
tion of  the  foreigner,  whose  strength  was  not 
to  be  gauged  by  his  present  number  of  adhe- 
rents, but  referred  to  future  possibilities. 

General  Munoz,  who  came  in  during  the  in- 
terview, presented  both  in  his  nature  and  ap- 
pearance a  striking  contrast  to  Colonel  Walker. 
Between  the  two  as  marked  an  antipathy  was 
observable  as  that  exhibited  in  the  sudden 
encounter  between  a  dog  and  a  cat.  Walker's 
manner  was  short  and  abrupt,  while  his  appear- 
ance was  of  the  plainest.  Munoz,  on  the  con- 
trary, was  a  man  of  the  most  striking  physical 
beauty,  wore  the  handsome  uniform  of  a  Ma- 


I  io       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

jor-General,  and  was  a  master  of  those  graces 
of  manner  which  often  influence  our  judg- 
ments of  character. 

Munoz  affected  to  treat  the  matter  of  the 
American  alliance  as  unimportant  in  national 
affairs,  and  nothing  was  effected  in  the  inter- 
view. Later,  the  President  promised  Walker 
that  as  soon  as  Munoz  departed  on  an  expedi- 
tion then  ready  to  march  for  the  purpose  of 
checking  the  depredations  of  the  enemy  on 
the  rich  cattle  estates  of  the  province  of  Se- 
govia, a  native  auxiliary  force  should  be  fur- 
nished to  Col.  Walker  to  aid  him  in  recovering 
from  the  enemy  the  transit  route  which  they 
had  seized  as  soon  as  the  Democrats  evacu- 
ated Granada. 

Walker's  object  in  making  the  transit  route 
the  theatre  of  his  operations  was  twofold.  It 
gave  him  a  command  independent  and  separate 
from  General  Munoz.-  If  he  could  establish 
and  maintain  a  footing  on  that  line,  he  could 
communicate  with  available  reinforcements 
congregated  in  California. 

The  necessary  authority  for  this  separate 
expedition  having  at  length  been  obtained 
from  the  Minister  of  war,  who  also  directed 
Colonel  Ramirez  to  report  to  Walker  with  two 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      1 1 1 

hundred  native  infantry,  the  expeditionary 
force  prepared  to  embark  at  Realejo  for  the 
purpose  of  capturing  the  transit  route  from 
the  enemy.  Our  reasonable  expectation  was 
that  the  Democrats  of  the  meridional  depart- 
ment would  flock  to  our  standard  as  soon  as 
we  could  offer  them  guaranties  of  protection. 

The  little  band  of  men  whom  Walker  had 
brought  with  him  was  admirably  officered.  I 
had  been  active  in  promoting  the  arrangement 
by  which  Colonel  Walker  would  have  an  op- 
portunity to  test  his  ability  to  conquer  a 
peace  from  the  enemy,  free  from  interference  of 
the  intriguing  commander-in-chief,  but  hardly 
saw  how  I  could  associate  myself  with  their 
completed  organ  izajtion. 

Hitherto  my  position,  though  restricted  in 
power,  had  been  singularly  independent,  and 
I  was  averse  from  accepting  the  position  of  aide 
to  the  commanding  officer.  He  was  wholly  un- 
acquainted with  the  people  and  their  mode  of 
warfare,  but  during  my  short  acquaintance  with 
him  he  had  developed  an  amount  of  wilfulness 
in  small  things  which  augured  a  despotic  char- 
acter, which  I  was  unwilling  to  subject  myself 
to.  When,  however,  I  announced  my  intention 
of  remaining  at  Leon,  I  found  that  not  only 


1 12      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Colonel  Walker,  but  his  officers  had  counted  so 
much  on  my  accompany  ing  them  that,  sacrificing 
my  better  judgment  to  the  feeling  of  regard  for 
my  countrymen,  to  whom  I  well  knew  that  my 
acquired  experience  would  be  valuable,  I  con- 
sented to  accompany  them.  Mendez  declared 
that  if  I  went  he,  too,  would  go,  which  he  did, 
prompted,  no  doubt,  by  the  love  of  adventurous 
strife,  which  had  become  to  him  as  the  breath  of 
his  nostrils.  Walker,  who  seemed  to  comprehend 
the  character  of  this  soldier  of  fortune,  remarked 
to  me  in  English,  as  soon  as  Mendez  had  con- 
cluded his  expressions  of  devotion  to  the 
Americans,  and  to  the  "  sacred  cause  of  liber- 
ty," that  he  had  no  doubt  Mendez'  exchequer 
had  run  low,  and  he  expected  to  replenish  it  at 
the  expense  of  the  enemy. 

The  force  was  embarked  in  the  brig  Vesta, 
and  left  the  harbor  of  Realejo  on  the  23d  of 
June,  i855. 

Colonel  Ramirez,  whom  I  had  known  in  the 
service  at  Granada,  a  morose  and  inconspicuous 
officer,  had  been  tardy  in  reporting  his  com- 
mand to  Colonel  Walker.  Instead  of  the  five 
hundred  promised,  it  consisted  of  less  than  a 
hundred  and  fifty.  Certain  of  my  Nicaraguan 
friends  had  cautioned  me  that  he  was  not  only 


The  "Filibuster"^  War  in  Nicaragua.      113 

a  man  of  inferior  capacity  and  courage  in  the 
field,  but  was  also  a  tool  of  Munoz.  Walker,  to 
whom  I  imparted  this  information,  seemed  to 
care  but  little  about  it.  The  reason  for  his  in- 
difference was  his  inordinate  confidence  in  the 
ability  of  his  handful  of  Americans  to  conquer, 
unassisted,  any  number  of  the  enemy.  His 
errors  of  judgment,  on  which  I  shall  have  occa- 
sion again  to  comment,  were  the  faults  of  a  very 
brave  man,  but  none  the  less  faults,  as  they  in- 
volved miscalculations  in  the  adaptation  of 
means  to  an  end,  besides  occasioning  frequent 
and  useless  loss  of  life. 

"  Our  remedies  oft  in  ourselves  do  lie 
Which  we  ascribe  to  heaven." 

After  four  miserable  days,  tossed  hither  and 
thither  by  contrary  winds,  we  reached  a  small  har- 
bor a  few  leagues  above  San  Juan  del  Sur,  at  El 
Gig  ante  ^  near  Brito,  the  harbor,  by-the-bye,  des- 
tined at  some  future  day,  when  the  interests  of 
commerce  are  able  to  command  the  attention  of 
legislators  unbiassed  by  private  interests,  to  be 
the  terminus  of  an  interoceanic  canal,  as  it  is  by 
far  the  most  feasible  route  that  has  been  pro- 
posed. 

I  speak  advisedly  on  this  point,  having  had 


1 14      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

opportunities  personally  to  compare  the  differ- 
ent routes  proposed. 

This  point  was  chosen  by  Walker  for  a  land- 
ing, because  he  very  naturally  looked  for  the 
enemy,  who  doubtless  were  well  informed  of 
the  departure  of  the  expedition  from  Realejo, 
to  attempt  a  strong  opposition  to  our  landing 
at  San  Juan. 

And  as  he  contemplated  attacking  them  in 
their  stronghold  at  Rivas,  the  present  landing 
was  equally  favorable  for  that  purpose,  and  less 
likely  to  subject  him  to  annoyance  on  the  march 
thither. 

I  had  been  exceedingly  ill  during  the  voyage 
from  an  attack  of  dysentery,  and  suffered  be- 
sides from  sea-sickness,  so  the  doctor  recom- 
mended me  not  to  land,  for,  even  under  favor- 
able conditions  for  transportation,  I  was  unfit 
for  duty.  The  conditions  were  most  unfavor- 
able, for  the  march  of  twenty  miles  to  Rivas 
must  be  in  darkness  and  drenching  rain  over 
trackless  hills. 

But  no  argument  short  of  a  clear  presentation 
of  the  impossibility  of  my  getting  through  would 
have  deterred  me  from  making  the  attempt,  and 
the  Colonel  promised  that  I  should  have  such 
aid  as  could  be  given  by  the  soldiers. 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      1 15 

In  landing,  the  boat  in  which  I  was  was  per- 
mitted to  strike  the  ground,  and  such  was  my 
weakness,  that  the  shock  threw  me  overboard. 
But  for  the  active  exertions  of  the  men,  I  should 
doubtless  have  been  drowned. 

We  began  the  march  about  midnight  in  a 
heavy  down-pour  of  rain.  To  add  to  our 
difficulties  the  trail  was  hard  to  find  in  the 
darkness,  so  that  we  had  to  wait  in  the  heavy 
rain  for  the  partial  clearing  of  the  sky.  It 
would  be  hard  to  imagine  a  more  miserable 
object  than  I  felt  myself  to  be  as  I  lay  down 
on  the  bare  sodden  ground.  When  the  trail 
was  found,  we  resumed  the  march.  A  soldier 
supported  me  on  each  side,  for  I  was  too  weak 
to  stand  by  myself. 

The  following  day  the  rain  abated,  but  the 
walking  was  fearfully  bad.  It  was  not  until 
about  nine  o'clock  at  night  that  we  came  to 
the  small  village  of  Tola.  Then  it  was  raining 
again  harder  than  I  ever  saw  it.  We  were  now 
within  about  nine  miles  of  Rivas,  though  in  no 
condition  to  attack  that  place,  so  we  were  fain  to 
content  ourselves  with  the  near  prospect  of  rest 
and  shelter  in  the  village.  Some  of  our  natives, 
who  knew  the  locality,  informed  us  that  there 
was  a  government  quartet  in  the  place,  at  which 


n6      The  " Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

it  was  customary  to  keep  a  picket  in  time  of 
war  as  a  protection  and  means  of  information 
to  the  army  in  Rivas. 

As  we  marched  along  the  single  street  look- 
ing for  the  quartcl — the  heavy  down -pour  of 
rain  completely  deadening  the  sound  of  our 
footsteps, — we  came  suddenly  to  the  quarters 
of  the  soldier?,  in  the  corridor  of  which  were 
two  cr  three  groups  playing  cards  by  the  light 
of  tallow  dips,  the  sentinel  having  withdrawn 
under  the  porch  to  escape  the  rain.  I  Us  quick 
challenge  of  "  Quien  vive!"  was  followed  us  he 
perceived  us  by  the  discharge  of  his  musket, 
and  the  Americans,  who  were  in  advance  of 
our  native  troops,  rushed  upon  the  building 
without  waiting  for  orders,  shooting  and  over- 
powering all  opposition  in  a  few  moments. 

Several  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and 
wounded,  without  loss  on  our  part,  and  we 
soon  disposed  our  native  troops  to  guard  the 
place,  while  the  Americans  sought  rest ;  well 
knowing  that  on  the  following  day  they  would 
need  all  their  surplus  energy.  For  myself  I 
was  indisposed  to  sleep,  probably  because  of 
reaction  from  the  stupor  induced  by  the  drugs 
which  the  doctor  had  given  me, 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Battle  of  Rivas — Retreat  to  San  Juan. 

THE  heavy  rain  of  the  night  was  followed 
in  the  morning  by  a  glorious  sunshine,  in 
the  warm  rays  of  which  the  soldiers  dried  their 
clothing  and  arms.  Beef  and  chickens  were 
plenty,  and  a  satisfactory  breakfast  was  soon 
prepared.  We  were  only  about  nine  miles  from 
Rivas.  Our  exploit  of  the  previous  night  had 
well  warned  the  enemy  of  our  approach,  so 
there  was  no  need  for  either  secrecy  or  hurry 
on  our  part. 

Information  from  various  sources  apprised  us 
that  Colonel  Bosque,  the  Commandant  at  Rivas, 
had  been  advised  of  our  approach  as  soon  after 
our  debarkation  as  fast  runners  could  carry  the 
news  ;  further,  that,  as  he  had  been  for  weeks 
barricading  and  fortifying  the  town,  and  would, 
besides,  rely  on  aid  from  the  citizens  and  a  mil- 
itary force  of  twelve  hundred  picked  men,  the 
presumption  was  that  we  need  not  long  spoil 

117 


1 1 8       The  "-Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

for  want  of  a  fight.  It  was  evident  from  the 
bearing  of  our  men,  their  eagerness,  and  elabo- 
rate preparations  of  their  arms,  that  a  fight  was 
exactly  what  would  suit  them,  and  what  they 
had  come  for.  Weary  as  I  had  become  of  the 
long  and  inconsequent  struggle  at  Granada  and 
the  apparently  useless  sacrifice  of  life,  I  was  not 
without  hope  for  a  better  issue  for  the  war,  now 
that  men  of  energy  and  determination  were  in 
command.  We  had  now  probably  to  attack 
from  five  to  ten  times  our  numbers — that  would 
depend  on  the  backing  of  the  towns-people,— 
but  I  saw  no  need  for  despairing  of  success, 
provided  our  native  auxiliaries  should  efficient- 
ly second  the  Americans,  and  that  Colonel 
Walker  should  prove  the  sagacious  leader  which 
his  men  had  declared  him  to  be. 

We  resumed  the  march  to  Rivas  about  nine 
A.  M.,  proceeding  in  a  leisurely  way,  that  indi- 
cated confidence  as  well  as  determination. 

Many  market  women  were  met  returning 
with  their  empty  baskets,  and  as  discipline  was 
relaxed,  owing  to  our  feeling  sure  that  the  ene- 
my would  keep  on  the  other  side  of  their  barri- 
cades, the  men  were  permitted  to  chaff  and 
question  the  women  as  they  pleased,  who  were 
not  reluctant  to  interchange  civilities.  I  noticed 


The  "  Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.       1 19 

that  while  Walker  and  the  American  officers 
seemed  indifferent  to  the  acquisition  of  informa- 
tion relating  to  the  numbers  and  disposition  of 
the  enemy,  Colonel  Ramirez  made  particular 
inquiries  on  these  points;  the  full  significance 
of  this  was  revealed  by  subsequent  events.  Two 
hours'  march  brought  us  to  the  environs  of  the 
town,  and  we  had  no  sooner  reached  the  paved 
streets  than  we  came  upon  a  barricade,  through 
which  protruded  the  muzzle  of  a  twenty-four 
pounder,  a  protest  not  to  be  disregarded.  It 
now  became  necessary  to  adopt  some  method 
of  attack.  Colonel  Walker  ordered  the  men  to 
form  two  abreast,  and  then  instructed  Tejada 
to  direct  Colonel  Ramirez  to  follow  the  Ameri- 
cans until  the  latter  were  fairly  in  the  town. 
Then  Ramirez  was  to  distribute  his  men  at  those 
outlets  of  the  San  Juan  and  Granada  roads  by 
which  the  enemy  might  attempt  to  escape,  leav- 
ing us  to  deal  with  the  force  in  the  plaza. 

Tejada,  sometimes  known  as  Napoleon,  was 
so  confounded  by  the  order,  that  he  could  not 
translate  it  to  Ramirez.  He  begged  the  Colo- 
nel to  repeat  it,  which  he  having  done,  poor 
Tejada,  though  perfectly  comprehending  the 
words,  hesitated  about  communicating  them, 
until  Walker  exasperated,  sent  him  to  the  rear, 


I2O      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

and  requested  me  to  convey  his  order.  This  I 
did  at  once  ;  the  eyes  of  Ramirez  sparkled  as  he 
perceived  how  favorable  the  disposition  was  for 
furthering  his  ulterior  views.  I  was  as  aston- 
ished as  Tejada.  I  had  been  fighting  these  men 
for  a  year  now,  and  knew  that  success  against 
such  fearful  odds  could  only  be  attained  by  in- 
domitable courage,  combined  with  judicious 
stratagem.  Walker's  experience  in  fighting  the 
Spanish-Americans  had  been  confined  to  the 
sage-brush  nurtured  inhabitants  of  Sonora,  who 
were  ready  to  fly  at  the  sound  of  their  own 
guns.  He  was  evidently  committing  the  grave 
error  in  a  commanding  officer,  of  undervalu- 
ing his  enemy.  I  therefore,  while  the  orders 
were  being  executed,  trusted  to  my  long  experi- 
ence and  my  independent  position  as  volunteer 
aide,  and  suggested  to  Colonel  Walker  that  it 
would  be  better  not  to  send  our  native  troops 
out  of  our  reach,  until  we  saw  what  need  we 
might  have  for  them  as  supports  in  our  attack. 

With  the  smile  which  we  afterwards  learned 
to  understand  the  meaning  of  so  well,  he  replied 
that  I  had  not  yet  seen  what  fifty-six  such  men 
as  he  had,  and  so  armed,  could  do  ;  and  feeling 
that,  owing  to  our  limited  acquaintance,  further 
remonstrance  from  me  might  be  misinterpreted, 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     121 

I  merely  bowed  as  I  took  my  place  at  his  side. 
For  the  first  time  I  lost  faith  in  our  success,  but 
determined  that  no  duty  or  effort  of  mine  should 
be  neglected  on  that  account. 

As  soon  as  our  little  column  came  within 
range  of  the  twenty-four  pounder,  we  charged 
impetuously,  and  were  saluted  with  a  discharge 
of  grape  and  canister,'  which,  owing  to  the  sud- 
denness of  our  forward  movement,  nearly  all 
passed  over  our  heads,  while  Ramirez,  who 
probably  foresaw  the  greater  danger  of  follow- 
ing in  our  immediate  rear,  did  not  move  his 
men  until  we  had  cleared  the  way.  We  quickly 
scaled  the  barricade,  only  to  find  a  similar  one 
a  little  farther  on,  behind  which  those  who  had 
manned  the  first  were  struggling  to  obtain  a 
shelter  from  our  pursuit.  Without  wasting  time 
in  firing  at  these  fellows,  we  kept  on  after  them, 
reaching  the  second  barricade  without  having 
sustained  much  damage.  We  were  here  met 
by  a  pretty  steady  firing  from  the  loop-holed 
walls  in  the  cross  streets,  which  we  could  not 
return  with  much  effect,  and  therefore  kept  on 
towards  the  plaza. 

As  we  neared  this  base  of  the  enemy's  opera- 
tions, their  converging  fire  from  the  sides  and 
front  of  the  broad  street  became  very  heavy, 


122      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

and  to  avoid  in  part  the  storm  of  bullets  that 
hurtled  through  the  air  around  us,  we  kept  close 
to  the  houses  on  either  side.  Our  chief  diffi- 
culty thus  far  had  been  that,  while  exposed  to 
the  enemy's  fire,  they  were  nearly  invisible  to 
us,  sheltered  behind  their  loop-holed  walls. 

We  were  now  near  enough  to  their  strong- 
hold to  feel  a  cross-fire  that,  with  better  aim, 
should  have  annihilated  us,  and  we  also  found 
that  the  more  substantial  nature  of  their  defences 
made  further  progress  impossible,  except  by 
the  slow  and  laborious  method  of  picks  and 
crowbars.  There  were  so  few  of  us  that  we 
had  not  carried  sapping  and  mining  implements, 
hence  there  was  nothing  for  us  but  to  keep  up 
a  kind  of  scattering  fire  at  the  loop-holes,  where- 
ever  a  head  or  musket  offered  a  mark.  The 
aim  of  our  men  was  true  enough  to  make  even 
this  fire  very  destructive,  but  the  odds  of  num- 
ber and  position  were  fearfully  against  us.  Al- 
ready we  were  counting  our  dead  and  wounded. 
Emboldened  by  our  enforced  halt,  they  had 
made  several  attempts  at  charging  us,  but  had 
been  promptly  and  fiercely  repulsed.  At  length 
our  men  began  to  show  signs  of  unwillingness 
to  be  made  the  target  for  an  overwhelming 
force,  whom  they  could  not  get  at,  and  refused 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      123 

to  continue  an  assault  on  solid  wall.  Major 
Crocker,  at  this  juncture,  approached  Walker, 
one  arm  which  had  been  broken  by  a  bullet 
dangling  by  his  side,  and  announced  that  the 
men  could  not  be  brought  to  charge  the  enemy, 
who  were  pressing  them  from  an  alley  in  the 
rear. 

In  all  former  experiences  I  had  been  more  or 
less  a  commander.  Here,  and  especially  after 
the  repulse  which  my  suggestion  of  keeping 
the  native  force  near  us  had  met  with,  I  had 
only  executed  orders,  and,  as  I  carried  my 
trusty  rifle,  had  acted  on  the  general  principle  of 
"  firing  wherever  I  could  see  a  head."  Walker 
now  turned  to  me  and  asked  if  I  could  make 
any  suggestion  for  our  extrication  from  the  im- 
mediate surroundings.  After  our  passage  of 
the  first  barricade,  we  had  seen  no  more  of  our 
native  auxiliaries,  and  I  was  satisfied  that  Ram- 
irez did  not  intend  to  support  us  ;  he  had  ample 
excuse  for  defection  in  Colonel  Walker's  inju- 
dicious order.  As  soon  as  it  had  been  fairly 
demonstrated  that  we  could  not  get  at  the 
enemy,  my  tactics — learned  by  experience  in 
this  kind  of  warfare — would  have  been  instantly 
to  withdraw  my  men  from  under  fire,  and  seek 
a  junction  with  our  native  forces  preparatory  to 


124      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

attack  on  some  more  accessible  point.  At  this 
late  hour  it  was  doubtful  whether  an  attempt  at 
withdrawal  would  not  prove  suicidal.  I  was, 
however,  spared  decision  by  Walker's  sugges- 
tion that  a  temporary  shelter  and  rest  would 
put  the  men  in  condition  to  resume  offensive 
operations  in  the  direction  of  the  plaza.  I  there- 
fore pointed  to  a  large  and  very  solid  building 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  recom- 
mended that  the  front  folding-doors  should  be 
battered  down,  and  we  take  possession  of  it  as 
a  temporary  fortress. 

This  was  instantly  done  ;  we  found  ourselves 
for  the  moment  sheltered  from  the  rain  cf  mis- 
siles, and  the  men  set  about  making  the  best 
arrangements  for  defence  possible  in  such  a 
place.  Foreseeing  that  our  abandoning  the  of- 
fensive would  stimulate  the  enemy  to  assume 
that  role,  I  urged  resolution  and  unity,  and  set 
an  example  of  activity  by  throwing  a  heavy 
piece  of  furniture  in  front  of  the  wide  open  door- 
way. In  this  I  was  quickly  seconded  by  Col- 
onel Walker  and  Lieut.-Col.  Kewen,  and  none 
too  soon,  for  we  had  scarcely  opposed  a  tempo- 
rary barrier,  when  a  well-organized  assault  with 
fixed  bayonets  was  made  by  the  enemy.  Had 
they  got  in  on  us  in  these  close  quarters,  where 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      125 

rifles  were  useless,  with  their  large  numbers 
they  would  have  quickly  made  an  end  of  us.  As 
it  was,  the  temporary  barrier  enabled  the  men 
to  recover  from  the  momentary  lethargy  which 
seemed  to  have  seized  them,  and  while  Kewen, 
Walker,  and  myself  actually  beat  them  back, 
turning  aside  their  bayonets  and  thrusting  at 
them  with  our  swords,  the  men  came  up,  and 
firing  over  our  shoulders,  soon  checked  the  ad- 
vance and  heaped  the  door- way  with  the  bodies 
of  our  enemies.  They  first  paused,  and  then 
hastily  withdrew,  leaving  a  hecatomb  of  their 
dead  as  witness  of  the  unerring  aim  of  the  rifles. 

As  the  fire  of  our  men  released  us  from  the 
pressure  of  the  enemy,  Colonel  Kewen  stag- 
gered forward,  clutching  the  air  with  his  hands. 
I  caught  him  and  laid  him  gently  on  his  back. 
There  was  no  need  to  ask  how  badly  he 
was  hurt,  for  the  purple  stream  issuing  from  his 
lips,  and  a  red  spot  in  the  centre  of  his  breast 
from  which  too  the  blood  flowed  rapidly,  told 
the  story.  He  had  been  shot  through  the  lung, 
and  smilingly  sank  in  death. 

The  severity  of  the  enemy's  loss  taught 
them  more  caution,  but  did  not  seem  to 
lessen  their  energies.  They  pressed  into  the 
streets,  swarming  around  and  even  setting  fire  to 


126      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  canes  and  light  material  that  supported  the 
tiles  over  our  heads.  Every  moment  seemed  to 
draw  the  net  of  doom  closer  about  us.  Some 
quick  action  was  imperative. 

The  men  seemed  to  have  lost  their  early 
energy  and  courage.  Walker,  since  we  had 
abandoned  the  offensive,  seemed  also  to  have 
been  stricken  with  the  general  torpor,  and  I,  by 
a  kind  of  spontaneous  action,  had  for  the  time 
assumed  command. 

I  encouraged  the  men  by  taking  their  loaded 
rifles  and  firing  them  through  the  open  door- way 
at  the  masses  of  the  enemy  who  occupied  the 
street.  The  bullets,  enfilading  this  opening, 
and  the  windows  as  well,  might  have  taught  me 
that  by  such  exposure  I  courted  death,  but  since 
that  threatened  any  way,  I  could  afford  indiffer- 
ence to  the  time  and  manner  of  its  coming.  A 
ball  struck  me  in  the  right  temple,  and  I  dropped 
to  the  floor.  I  remember  a  flickering  sensation 
as  of  a  struggle  to  keep  down  to  the  earth  in 
opposition  to  a  gravitative  impulse  upward,  and 
then  I  distinctly  heard  Captain  Hornsby  say, 
"  He  's  gone,"  and  Colonel  Walker  reply,  "  It 
is  a  pity."  The  words,  or  else  the  profuse  flow 
of  the  blood,  relieved  the  temporary  confusion 
caused  by  the  blow,  and  springing  to  my  feet  I 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      127 

shouted  that  I  was  "  not  gone  yet,"  the  words 
eliciting"  a  cheer  amid  even  our  sad  surroundings. 

I  asked  for  the  surgeon,  for  the  bullet,  cutting 
the  temporal  artery,  caused  great  waste  of 
blood.  He  assured  me,  however,  from  his 
perch  near  the  rafters,  that  it  would  soon  stop  of 
itself. 

At  this  time  the  tiled  floor  of  the  large  room 
in  which  we  were  assembled  was  strewn  with 
the  dead  bodies  of  our  comrades,  the  sight  of 
whose  ghastly  visages  seemed  to  paralyze  the 
nerves  of  many  of  the  men.  Colonel  Kewen, 
Major  Crocker,  and  many  brave  men  were 
dead  ;  many  others  were  more  or  less  severely 
wounded. 

The  enemy  were  bringing  a  heavy  gun  to 
bear  upon  the  building.  A  wall  which  they 
were  demolishing  was  the  only  obstacle  at 
present  intervening  between  us.  In  this  crisis 
Walker  and  Hornsby  came  to  me,  the  former 
asking  if  I  could  suggest  any  way  for  temporary 
relief,  adding  that  he  hoped  that  when  night 
should  fall  we  might  still  be  able  to  make  a  suc- 
cessful assault  on  the  plaza.  Our  fortress  was 
but  a  short  distance  from  a  kind  of  moat  or 
ravine  bordered  by  trees,  and  although  the  inter- 
vening space  was  crowded  by  the  enemy,  I  told 


128      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  Colonel  that  I  thought  our  only  chance  of 
escape  was  to  make  a  dash,  when,  if  successful 
in  forcing  a  passage,  fighting  along  the  top  of 
the  moat  would  be  easier  than  in  the  streets. 

The  suggestion  was  received  with  a  shout, 
and  we  at  once  formed,  to  put  it  in  execution. 

The  men,  seeing  that  a  supreme  effort  was  to 
be  made,  recovered  their  vigor,  and  our  charge 
was  made  with  such  impetuosity  that  we  were 
firing  our  revolvers  in  our  opponents'  faces  and 
thrusting  our  way  through  their  ranks  before 
they  had  any  notion  of  what  we  were  about. 
Colonel  Walker  and  myself,  after  forming  the 
line,  had  taken  our  places  at  the  head  of  the 
column  for  the  assault,  when  poor  "  Hughes," 
about  the  last  remaining  of  my  riflemen  in  the 
Jalteva,  called  to  me  from  a  corner  of  the  room 
where  he  lay  wounded,  begging  me  not  to  leave 
him. 

These  are  the  emergencies  harder  to  meet 
than  any  in  the  mere  strife  of  battle. 

Any  hesitation  at  this  moment  would  have 
been  fatal  to  all,  besides  being  useless  to  him. 

Before  the  enemy  could  disengage  themselves 
from  us  we  had  passed  through  their  midst,  and, 
turning  as  we  reached  the  sloping  bank  of  the 
ravine,  were  ready  to  give  them  a  warm  recep- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      129 

tion  if  they  desired  to  follow  us.  This  did  not 
for  the  moment  seem  to  be  their  plan,  so  we 
deliberately  began  retiring  along  the  edge 
of  the  ravine,  and  in  a  short  time  found  our- 
selves in  the  open  country  outside  the  town. 
We  continued  our  way  slowly,  fully  expecting 
to  be  pursued  and  attacked  by  the  foe,  whom  we 
felt  competent  to  cope  with  as  soon  as  we  were 
clear  of  the  buildings,  which  sheltered  them 
from  the  aim  of  the  riflemen.  They  did  not 
follow  us,  and  we  halted  near  the  village  of  San 
Jorge,  in  order  to  form  some  plans  and  to  redis- 
tribute the  ammunition. 

While  thus  engaged,  the  bells  in  the  churches 
at  Rivas  rang  out  a  peal  of  victory. 

It  had  cost  them  dearly,  however,  for  their 
dead  alone  doubled  in  number  the  handful  of 
men  whom  they,  twenty  to  one,  had  contended 
against.  At  this  place,  Captain  Mayorga  and 
two  or  three  others,  who,  like  Mendez,  had  vol- 
untarily joined  the  expedition,  came  to  us  from 
the  adjoining  thicket,  and  from  them  we  learned 
that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  engagement, 
Colonel  Ramirez  had  marched  his  troops 
straight  away  from  the  town,  and  taken  the  road 
to  the  neighboring  state  of  Costa  Rica. 
Colonel  Walker  subsequently  made  a  charge  to 


130      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

President  Castellon  against  General  Munoz,  ac- 
cusing him  of  having  given  secret  instructions 
to  Ramirez,  who  was  known  as  his  tool,  to  de- 
sert the  Americans  in  this  manner  as  soon  as 
they  were  fairly  within  the  enemy's  lines. 

I  have  no  doubt  of  Ramirez'  treason,  but, 
had  Walker  shown  more  regard  for,  and  reliance 
on,  our  native  troops,  by  keeping  them  with  us 
to  share  in  the  battle,  there  was  enough  of  loy- 
alty among  them,  as  well  as  of  hatred  for  the 
enemy,  to  have  assured  us  their  support.  I 
have  always  found  the  common  soldier  among 
the  Central  Americans,  as  elsewhere,  freer  from 
the  vice  of  treachery  than  their  leaders,  treason 
being  a  crime  more  common  to  a  higher 
class. 

The  last  that  I  had  seen  of  Mendez  was  when 
we  took  shelter  in  the  building.  He  was  replac- 
ing the  red  ribbon  which  he  tore  from  his  hat  by 
a  white  handkerchief,  and  Captain  Mayorga  in- 
formed us  that  he  had  seized  a  riderless  horse 
and  ridden  boldly  through  the  streets,  saved  by 
the  white  badge  on  his  hat.  It  was  just  like 
Mendez,  and  I  was  glad  to  learn  of  his  escape. 

Colonel  Walker  decided  to  march  towards  San 
Juan  del  Sur,  and,  as  Mayorga  was  a  native  of 
Rivas,  and  well  acquainted  with  the  country,  he 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      131 

was  directed  to  guide  us  through  bye-ways  to 
the  San  Juan  road. 

So  profound,  however,  was  Walker's  distrust 
of  the  native  character  since  the  treachery  of 
Ramirez,  that  he  requested  me  to  inform  Cap- 
tain Mayorga  that  if  he  should  lead  us  into  an 
ambush,  his  life  would  pay  the  forfeit,  since  every 
man  had  orders,  in  that  event,  to  shoot  him. 

In  vain  Mayorga,  who  was  doubtless  quite 
loyal  to  us,  pleaded  that  the  enemy  might  lie  in 
wait  for  us  among  the  thickets  we  had  to  pass 
through.  Walker  was  inexorable,  and  we  re- 
sumed our  way  through  thickets  and  briars  un- 
der his  guidance.  Colonel  Walker  and  myself 
kept  close  to  the  guide  with  cocked  revolvers, 
a  precaution  against  his  running  away,  as  well  as 
a  guard  against  his  possible  treachery. 

Walker  now  became  as  anxious  to  reach  the 
sea-shore  ahead  of  the  enemy  as  before  he  had 
been  indifferent  to  their  movements.  Out  of 
consideration  for  the  wounded,  among  whom 
were  Lieutenant — afterward  Colonel — Ander- 
son, and  Captain  Du  Brissott,  I  had  told  the 
guide  not  to  hurry,  but  soon  Walker  ordered 
me  to  direct  Captain  Hornsby  to  increase  the 
pace  of  the  men.  He  added  quietly  that  the 
wounded  must  take  their  chances,  since  our 


132      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

only  hope  of  escape  from  the  enemy  depended 
upon  our  getting  possession  of  San  Juan  with 
the  sea  at  our  backs  before  they  anticipated  us. 
I  thought  of  my  advice  of  the  morning,  which 
he  had  treated  rather  contemptuously,  but  none 
the  less  I  made  up  my  mind  that,  if  I  could  help 
it,  the  wounded  should  not  be  left  behind. 
After  directing  me  two  or  three  times  to  increase 
the  speed  of  the  march,  I  think  he  suspected 
that  I  was  delaying  it,  and  himself  gave  the 
order  to  go  faster.  But  the  wounded  men  had 
by  this  time  been  provided  with  horses. 

Through  darkness  and  Mayorga's  fright,  we 
became  entangled  in  the  thickets.  At  midnight, 
when  about  exhausted,  we  came  to  a  small  cattle 
ranch,  and  there  a  halt  was  called  for  the  night. 

Walker,  partly  from  resentment  for  the  de- 
fection of  Ramirez,  partly  as  a  precautionary 
measure,  caused  the  old  ranchero  and  his  wife 
to  be  guarded  as  hostages  for  the  fealty  of  their 
sons.  These  were  directed  to  slaughter  and 
prepare  for  the  men's  breakfast  an  ox  from  the 
corral.  They  were  warned  that  their  parents' 
safety  and  payment  for  the  ox  depended  on 
their  faith,  for  they  could  easily  apprise  the 
army  at  Rivas  of  our  condition. 

Colonel  Walker  and  myself,  alone  of  the  tired 


The  ""Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      133 

company,  tried  to  keep  watch  over  the  camp, 
and  I  soon  saw  my  commander  yielding  to  the 
influence  of  sleep. 

I  suppose  the  effects  of  my  sickness  and  sub- 
sequent exertions,  together  with  the  loss  of 
blood  from  my  wound,  helped  to  keep  me 
awake,  for  I  had  no  inclination  to  sleep,  al- 
though this  was  my  third  night  of  wakefulness. 
An  extreme  nervous  tension  seemed  to  have 
taken  the  place  of  a  more  healthful  drowsiness. 
I  sat  the  long  night  through,  occasionally  chat- 
ting with  the  old  farmer  and  his  wife,  the  latter 
of  whom  seemed  anxious  to  know  whether  we 
would  not  kill  them  before  leaving  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  was  much  comforted,  though  surprised, 
at  my  assurance  that  the  Americans  never  killed 
prisoners.  In  the  morning,  while  the  men  were 
getting  their  breakfasts,  Surgeon  Jones  extracted 
the  ounce  ball  from  my  skull,  near  the  ear,  using 
a  jack-knife  and  his  fingers,  in  place  of  the  in- 
struments he  had  thrown  away  in  exchange  for 
a  rifle,  in  our  extremity  at  Rivas. 

As  he  sharpened  the  blade  on  a  pebble  pre- 
paratory to  the  operation,  I  cautioned  him  that 
a  very  little  pressure  of  the  dull  instrument 
would  push  the  bullet  through  the  fractured 
bone,  but  he  managed  the  operation  skilfully. 


134      The  "'Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  march  was  resumed  after  a  good  break- 
fast, and  the  unwounded  men  seemed  able  to  do 
good  service  against  any  enemy  in  the  path. 

We  were  soon  in  sight  of  the  transit  road, 
about  at  the  half-way  house,  six  miles  from  San 
Juan.  The  fatiguing  march  of  many  miles  had 
been  through  the  dense  and  thorny  thickets, 
and  since  I,  at  the  head  of  the  column,  had 
helped  to  break  the  road,  my  thin  boots  had 
been  actually  torn  from  my  feet,  which  left 
bleeding  traces  as  I  walked. 

The  prospect  of  the  even  gravel  of  the  road 
was  pleasant  to  some  ;  so  was  the  assurance  it 
gave  of  an  approaching  ending  to  the  march. 

To  me  the  miles  ahead  were  as  formidable  as 
if  the  distance  were  interminable,  for  I  felt  that 
my  strength  was  at  last  giving  out,  and  that  I 
could  not  much  longer  keep  up  with  the  march. 

As  the  men,  with  renewed  alacrity,  prepared 
to  push  through  the  remaining  bushes  to  the 
road,  the  footfalls  of  an  approaching  cavalcade 
resounded  in  the  near  distance. 

Walker,  with  the  promptness  that  distin- 
guished him  in  emergencies,  ordered  every  man 
to  conceal  himself,  and  on  no  account  to  fire 
unless  he  gave  the  word. 

Immediately   afterwards   a   body  of  cavalry 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      135 

wearing  the  hated  white  ribbon,  came  along 
four  abreast.  In  the  centre  of  their  column 
was  the  gayly  caparisoned  mule  team  of  the  ex- 
press company,  the  treasure  of  which  they  were 
escorting. 

A  single  well-directed  volley,  such  as  the 
Americans  were  capable  of  delivering  at  the 
short  range  at  which  we  were,  would  have  emp- 
tied as  many  saddles  as  there  were  rifles  among 
us,  and  we  should  have  replaced  the  escort  over 
the  treasure.  The  forbearance  of  Walker,  when 
his  enemy  was  at  his  mercy,  in  the  interests  of 
property  and  the  rfioral  force  which  attends  its 
protection,  should  sharply  rebuke  the  insensate 
cry  of  " Filibuster"  that  subsequently  attached 
to  his  name. 

For  myself,  who  have  known  him  so  well,  the 
act  has  no  significance  ;  it  was  only  an  instance 
of  his  usual  regard  for  and  observance  of  justice 
where  no  great  public  stake  was  involved. 

The  soldiers  passed  harmlessly  over  that  very 
pit  of  Avernus,  which  would  have  yawned  for 
them  at  a  single  word  from  one  man,  and  we 
resumed  our  march.  Stimulated  by  an  even 
road  and  the  proximity  of  a  port  in  which  some 
vessel  was  sure  to  be  found  to  carry  the  hand- 
ful of  worn-out  men  away  from  their  legion  of 


136      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

enemies,  the  movement  quickened  so  much, 
that,  as  I  gradually  dropped  to  the  rear,  I  saw 
myself  in  imagination  left  to  solitude  on  a  road 
infested  by  enemies.  As  I  have  seen  horses  after 
a  long  march  in  the  desert  hasten  forward  when 
the  moisture-laden  air  betokens  water  near  by, 
so  every  uninjured  man  now  pressed  onward, 
heedless  of  those  less  strong  than  themselves, 
Wearily  dragging  myself  along,  I  perceived  a 
single  horseman  approaching  from  the  front, 
and  what  was  more  remarkable,  he  kept  on  his 
way,  though  the  red  ribbons  of  our  party,  as 
well  as  their  nationality  and  consequent  politi- 
cal affinity,  were  easily  discernible  at  that  dis- 
tance. As  it  was  unsafe  for  any  one  to  declare 
himself  a  Democrat  in  this  locality,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  the  conduct  of  the  solitary  horseman 
implied  boldness  and  democracy  combined.  He 
was  soon  seen  to  be  an  American,  and  as  he 
came  up,  the  column  was  halted  for  Colonel 
Walker  to  obtain  information  about  the  condi- 
tion of  the  road  ahead  and  about  the  force  of 
the  enemy  in  San  Juan. 

The  man  proved  to  be  a  Mr.  Dewey,  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  and  former  member  of  my  rifle  company 
at  Granada.  Dewey,  who  was  a  noted  des- 
perado and  California  gambler,  had  nevertheless 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      137 

been  a  good  soldier  at  the  Jalteva,  and  had 
been  discharged  at  his  request  when  I  formed  a 
native  company.  He  had  since  that  time  thriven 
in  his  profession  at  San  Juan.  He  now  an- 
nounced that  the  news  of  our  being  in  the 
woods,  after  the  unsuccessful  attempt  at  the 
capture  of  Rivas,  had  been  brought  to  San  Juan, 
and  that  he  had  come  out  hoping  to  meet  us, 
and  to  tell  us  that  there  were  no  troops  either  in 
San  Juan,  or,  as  far  as  he  knew,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Seizure  of  a  Costa  Rican  brig — Burning  of  the  barracks — Escape  from 
San  Juan — Death  of  Dewey — Dangerous  navigation — In  a  fishing- 
smack — On  the  sick-list — Preparations  for  another  expedition. 

FROM  my  knowledge  of  Dewey 's  character, 
I  was  able  to  assure  Colonel  Walker  that 
no  treachery  was  to  be  feared  from  him  where 
the  lives  of  his  countrymen  were  involved. 

Strange  anomaly  in  human  nature !  The  man 
burdened  with  crime  and  violence,  a  hunted 
fugitive  from  the  law's  decrees,  is  still  the  in- 
heritor of  honorable  instincts  that  cause  him  to 
risk  his  life  for  his  countrymen,  when  self- 
interest  would  prompt  him  to  seek  alliance  with 
the  dominant  party. 

The  safety  of  the  road  and  town  being  thus 
assured,  the  command  pressed  forward  with  in- 
creased speed,  and  I  was  quickly  left  behind, 
every  one  being  too  much  absorbed  in  the 
chance  of  making  an  escape  by  sea  before  the 
arrival  of  a  large  force  of  the  enemy  from  Rivas, 

138 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      139 

to  care  for  those  less  able  than  themselves  to 
get  along, 

Such  was  my  weakness  from  exhaustion,  and 
the  intense  pain  caused  by  contact  of  the  hard 
gravel  with  my  lacerated  feet,  that  I  abandoned 
all  hope  or  care  to  keep  up  with  the  rest,  and 
was  looking  for  a  resting-place  by  the  wayside, 
when  Dewey,  looking  back  and  perceiving  my 
plight,  rode  back,  and  helping  me  up  behind 
his  saddle,  rescued  me  from  the  inevitable  fate 
which  awaited  those  who  from  wounds  or  ex- 
haustion were  left  behind.  I  am  glad  to  record 
the  good  act  of  this  man,  who  subsequently  paid 
with  his  life  the  penalty  of  many  crimes. 

The  sight  of  San  Juan  and  the  blue  Pacific 
Ocean  was  most  welcome  to  the  shattered  and 
exhausted  remnant,  and  still  more  hopeful  was 
the  suggestion  raised  by  the  sight  of  a  handsome 
schooner  just  anchoring  in  the  port.  Captain 
Hornsby,  with  a  detail  of  men,  was  quickly 
aboard  of  her.  She  proved  to  be  the  San  Jose, 
of  Costa  Rica,  and  was  held  by  him  under  mili- 
tary necessity  as  a  means  for  our  escape  from 
the  numerous  enemy.  Hornsby  arrived  none 
too  soon,  for  the  Dutch  captain  and  trader,  see- 
ing the  American  soldiers  on  shore,  and  sur- 
mising the  situation,  was  already  weighing  his 


140      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

anchor  preparatory  to  getting  away  from  such 
unprofitable  customers.  Nothing  was  to  be 
gained  by  delay,  and  it  was  important  to  get 
aboard  before  the  arrival  of  the  enemy  from 
Rivas,  so  no  time  was  lost  in  embarking  the 
men.  I  was  taken  on  board  with  the  rest  of  the 
wounded  at  once,  and  carried  to  the  cabin. 
There  I  found  instant  relief  from  suffering  and 
exhaustion,  in  a  sleep  so  profound  that  many  of 
the  exciting  events  that  followed,  some  of  them 
close  to  my  berth,  were  only  known  to  me  as 
they  were  subsequently  recounted  by  the  various 
actors  therein. 

Night  was  closing  in  as  the  last  of  the  men, 
excepting  the  small  picket,  were  put  on  board, 
and,  as  its  shadows  were  darkening  the  land- 
scape, a  lurid  glow  shot  up  from  the  barracks 
near  the  beach.  The  whole  structure  was  soon 
ablaze.  Dewey,  and  a  sailor  named  Sam,  the 
owner  of  a  fishing-smack,  had  fired  the  building, 
in  the  mere  wantonness  and  malice  of  men  who 
sought  to  inflict  damage  on  a  place,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  which  were  getting  tired  of  harboring 
them  and  permitting  the  exercise  of  their  nefari- 
ous pursuits.  As  it  was  intended,  the  odium 
fell  on  the  Americans,  under  the  aegis  of  whose 
power  the  act  was  committed,  Walker  was 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      141 

very  much  incensed,  and  determined  to  mete 
that  justice  to  the  perpetrators  which  should 
herald  to  the  world  that,  however  his  ambition 
might  seek  power  through  legitimate  means,  no 
mere  vandalism  could  receive  his  sanction. 

Sam,  in  a  semi-drunken  condition,  came 
aboard  to  seek  favor  for  what  he  regarded  as  a 
meritorious  act.  He  was  seized,  and,  pending 
ebb-tide,  needed  to  get  away  from  the  dan- 
gerous shore,  since  there  was  no  wind,  he  was 
tried  by  a  hastily  summoned  court-martial,  sit- 
ting in  the  cabin  close  to  where  I  slept,  and,  in 
a  few  minutes,  convicted  and  condemned  to  be 
shot,  Walker  approving  the  sentence. 

Captain  Hornsby,  with  a  detail  to  carry  the 
sentence  into  execution,  conveyed  the  prisoner 
ashore.  There,  in  the  darkness,  and  amid  the 
confusion  attendant  upon  the  approach  and 
scattering  fire  from  the  advanced  guard  of  the 
enemy,  who  had  thus  tardily  arrived  from  Rivas, 
he  managed  to  slip  the  hempen  shackles  which 
bound  his  wrists,  and  to  escape. 

I  have  always  doubted  whether  some  sympa- 
thizing soldier  did  not  aid  him  in  loosening  his 
bonds,  a  thing  easily  done  under  cover  of  night. 

Dewey,  though  drunk,  had  been  too  wise  to 
trust  himself  on  board,  and  had  taken  refuge  on 


142      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  smack,  expecting  that  Sam  would  shortly 
arrive  and  cast  loose  the  vessel  from  the  locality 
already  made  dangerous  to  them  by  the  ar- 
rival of  the  enemy.  As  the  baffled  detail 
came  aboard,  amid  the  scattering  fire  of  the 
enemy,  who  were  forming  on  the  beach,  they 
towed  the  smack  to  the  schooner,  to  which  they 
made  her  fast,  and  the  tide  having  begun  to  ebb, 
we  slowly  left  the  port  for  the  open  sea.  A  lit- 
tle more  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  enemy 
would  have  made  it  impossible  for  us  to  get 
away.  Perhaps  their  supineness  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  considering  the  great  loss  they 
had  sustained  the  day  before,  and  their  probable 
belief  that  the  Americans  would  never  again  re- 
turn to  hazard  a  similarly  warm  welcome. 

It  was  not  until  we  arrived  at  Leon  that  we 
heard  of  the  fate  of  the  half-dozen  wounded 
men  whom  we  had  left  in  Rivas. 

They  were  chained  upon  a  pile  of  faggots  col- 
lected in  the  plaza  and  burned  alive,  by  order  of 
the  commandant,  Colonel  Bosque,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  day  of  the  battle,  an  expiatory  sacri- 
fice to  the  manes  of  those  who  had  fallen  at  our 
hands.  Colonel  Walker,  in  giving  an  account 
of  this,  his  first  battle  in  Nicaragua,  is  careful 
to  underestimate  his  loss  and  the  size  of  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      143 

force  he  persisted  in  contending  against,  when 
a  wiser  judgment,  not  implying  less  courage, 
would  have  caused  him  to  withdraw  from  the 
net  prepared  for  him  as  soon  as  he  had  seen  the 
hopelessness  of  persistence.  Experience  is  a 
valuable  teacher,  though  we  may  not  be  always 
willing  to  acknowledge  our  obligations  to  her. 
Though  our  force  was  small  in  number,  it  is  sel- 
dom that  the  annals  of  history  have  to  chronicle 
an  effort  of  more  hardihood  and  daring  than  that 
of  this  little  band,  deserted,  as  they  were  in  the 
beginning  by  their  allies.  It  is  certain  that  one- 
third  of  them  were  killed  or  rendered  hors  de 
combat  by  wounds. 

I  was  awakened  the  next  morning  by  Walker 
himself,  who  said  he  wished  me  to  speak  to  the 
native  woman  (Sam's  mistress),  who  was  steer- 
ing the  smack  in  tow  of  the  schooner.  As  I 
reached  the  deck,  much  refreshed  by  the  night's 
sleep,  though  suffering  from  the  pain  of  my 
wound,  the  blood  from  which  stiffened  my 
clothing,  I  found  the  schooner  bounding  along 
before  a  stiff  breeze,  the  sunlight  sparkling  on 
the  crested  billows,  and  the  mountains  of  the 
Nicaraguan  coast  close  a-starboard.  The  little 
smack  was  tugging  at  the  line  which  fastened 
her  to  our  taffrail,  her  tiller  tightly  grasped  in 


144      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  nut-brown  hands  of  the  comely  woman  who 
passed  as  Mrs.  Sam.  Two  riflemen  were  sta- 
tioned at  the  taffrail  of  the  schooner  with  orders 
to  shoot  Dewey  if  he  should  make  any  attempt 
to  cast  loose  the  line  which  held  the  smack  in 
tow,  and,  as  he  was  known  to  be  a  desperado 
who  would  never  yield  while  he  could  fight,  it 
was  desirable  to  get  the  woman  aboard  the 
schooner,  out  of  the  way  of  bullets.  I  was 
therefore  directed  to  ask  her  in  Spanish  to  come 
forward,  so  that  we  could  assist  her  on  board. 
This  she  promptly  attempted,  but  was  forbidden 
by  Dewey,  who,  first  placing  two  large  navy  re- 
volvers on  the  hatch,  slowly  followed,  and  step- 
ping on  the  deck  of  the  little  vessel,  demanded 
to  know  what  we  wanted. 

I  called  to  him  that  Colonel  Walker  demanded 
that  he  should  come  aboard  the  schooner  and 
stand  his  trial  for  burning  the  government 
barracks  at  San  Juan. 

He  answered  that  Colonel  Walker  might  go  to 
hell.  At  the  same  time  he  stepped  forward  to 
cast  the  towing  line  off. 

"  Don't  do  that,  Dewey,"  I  called  to  him. 
"The  men  have  orders  to  shoot  you  if  you 
attempt  it."  His  answer  was  to  stoop  down 
and  grasp  a  navy  revolver  in  each  hand.  As 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      145 

he  proceeded  to  cock  them,  two  shots  rang  out 
from  the  sentinels  at  my  side,  and  Dewey 
pitched  forward  beneath  the  hatch. 

At  the  same  moment  the  woman  at  the  tiller 
shrieked  that  she  was  shot. 

I  directed  her  to  come  forward,  whence  she 
was  helped  aboard  the  schooner. 

The  surgeon  found  that  one  of  the  rifle-balls 
after  piercing  Dewey's  body  had  entered  her 
thigh,  causing  a  dangerous  wound,  which  she 
recovered  from  only  after  a  long  and  painful 
illness. 

As  the  men  who  fired  the  shots  had  been 
selected  marksmen,  there  was  no  need  to  en- 
quire about  the  fate  of  Dewey,  and,  as  Walker 
no  longer  needed  my  services  on  board,  he, 
with  an  admirable  sense  of  utility,  and  regard- 
less of  my  wounded  condition,  requested  me  to 
go  on  board,  take  charge  of  the  smack,  and 
bring  her  into  Realejo.  He  constituted  me  on 
the  spot  administrator  of  Sam's  effects,  and  de- 
tailed two  soldiers  to  accompany  me  to  work 
the  vessel  over  the  hundred  and  odd  miles  of 
ocean  intervening  between  us  and  Realejo. 

It  was  always  a  part  of  my  military  creed  to 
hear  and  to  obey,  and  I  did  not  think  of  inter- 
posing any  objection  on  account  of  my  weakened 


146      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

condition  and  undressed  wound,  but  followed 
the  two  men  over  the  side  as  best  I  could.  The 
line  was  cast  off,  the  schooner  sped  away  with 
increased  velocity,  and  we  were  left  pitching 
about  on  the  sea. 

The  men  had  gone  down  the  hatchway,  and, 
as  I  took  the  tiller  of  the  boat,  I  called  to  them 
to  come  up  and  hoist  the  sail,  for  after  casting 
loose  from  the  schooner,  we  were  rolling  in  the 
troughs  of  the  sea. 

When  they  came  on  deck  some  little  time 
afterwards,  they  reported  Dewey  quite  dead, 
shot  through  the  heart. 

I  learned  afterwards  that  these  men  rushed 
into  the  hold  as  soon  as  they  got  aboard,  in 
order  to  search  the  clothing  of  the  gambler,  who 
was  reputed  to  have  a  considerable  sum  in  gold 
about  him,  and  that  they  did  in  fact  find  a  prize. 
When,  after  having  set  the  sail,  I  ordered  them 
to  lift  the  body  on  deck  preparatory  to  its  burial 
in  the  sea,  and  requested  them  to  search  it  for 
valuables,  it  is  certain  that  they  declared  they 
found  none. 

They  were  men  of  a  worse  stamp  than  Dewey 
himself.  One  of  them  subsequently  killed  a 
comrade  in  a  manner  impossible  to  justify  in  any 
way,  for  which  deed  he  would  have  been  shot 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      147 

by  a  sentence  of  court-martial,  had  he  not  hap- 
pened to  have  been  a  useful  soldier  at  a  time 
when  every  man  counted.  The  sense  of  justice 
was  subordinated  to  that  of  utility. 

I  soon  found  that  I  was  in  no  enviable  posi- 
tion on  the  wide  sea  with  these  men,  who,  when 
I  told  them  to  sew  the  body  of  Dewey  in  a  sail 
and  put  shot  at  the  feet,  replied  that  there  was 
no  use  taking  that  trouble,  it  being  easier  to 
toss  vit  over  as  it  was.  I  was  very  weak,  and 
should  have  been  utterly  unable  to  cope  with 
either  of  these  ruffians  in  a  contest  of  strength, 
but  as  they  knew  nothing  of  the  coast  or  of 
navigation,  I  had  some  power  over  them,  and 
ordered  them  to  do  as  I  had  bid  them. 

It  was  the  least  I  could  do  for  the  man  who, 
whatever  his  crimes,  had  performed  a  disinter- 
ested act  of  kindness  that  had  probably  saved 
my  life.  When  the  sack  containing  his  body 
cleft  the  blue  water,  I  only  remembered  the 
brave  man,  forgetting  for  the  moment  that  the 
Nemesis  which  pursued  him  to  the  death  was 
but  the  just  retribution  for  some  of  the  acts  of 
his  life.  Alas !  which  of  us  can  afford  to  throw 
the  first  stone  ?  And  are  we  not  after  all  subject 
to  the  law  of  necessity,  like  the  two  small  tiger 
cubs  which  Sam  had  in  the  hold  as  pets,  who, 


148      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

as  soon  as  Dewey  fell  helpless  under  the  fatal 
bullets,  tore  his  breast  in  obedience  to  ferocious 
natural  instinct  ? 

When  every  thing  was  placed  in  orderly  con- 
dition on  the  little  craft,  finding  the  sea  too  high 
for  comfort  if  not  for  safety,  I  steered  nearer  the 
shore  than  strict  prudence  warranted,  hoping  to 
avail  ourselves  of  the  smoother  water  near  the 
mountainous  coast,  from  whence  the  wind  blew. 
I  was  congratulating  myself  on  the  relief  from 
the  tossing  waters,  when  the  sail  flapping  against 
the  mast  warned  us  that  we  were  under  the  lee 
of  the  mountains,  and  becalmed. 

With  neither  oar  nor  sweep  aboard,  we  were 
entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  currents  and  under- 
tow. 

Night  fell  around  us  in  this  condition,  and  as 
we  had  neither  glass  nor  compass,  we  could  only 
drift  aimlessly  about,  the  greater  blackness  of 
the  sky  near  the  shore  alone  notifying  us  of  its 
proximity. 

Towards  morning,  the  gradually  increasing 
sound  of  breakers  indicated  that  we  were  drift- 
ing shoreward,  but  as  we  had  no  means  of 
counteracting  the  currents  that  were  carrying 
us  in,  having  neither  sweep  nor  oar,  we  were 
obliged  philosophically  to  await  the  impending 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      149 

end.  As  soon  as  the  boat  should  be  caught  in 
the  breakers,  whose  white,  dashing  spray  was 
already  visible  through  the  darkness,  only  a 
strong  swimmer  might  hope  to  save  himself. 

The  men  stripped  themselves  for  the  strug- 
gle, and  I,  who  had  neither  strength  nor  incli- 
nation for  the  necessary  effort,  reclined  by  the 
tiller  with  a  sense  of  relief  that  the  incessant 
struggle  of  life  would  soon  be  over. 

During  these  waiting  moments,  in  which  we 
seemed  to  be  slowly  forging  onward  to  destruc- 
tion, I  suddenly  felt  a  puff  of  wind  on  my  face. 
Calling  to  the-  men  to  brace  the  yard  sharp,  I 
had  the  satisfaction  to  see  the  sail  draw  tight, 
and  the  boat,  answering  to  the  helm,  we  sheered 
slowly  but  steadily  away  from  the  dreadful 
breakers,  whose  thunderous  sound  filled  the 
air.  We  had  probably  been  passing  a  cleft  or 
canon  in  the  mountains,  through  which  the 
wind  found  escape  from  the  otherwise  impas- 
sable barrier  to  the  sea,  and  by  keeping  the 
boat  well  before  it,  we  regained  the  rough 
water,  and  had  the  wind  from  over  the  tops  of 
the  mountains. 

The  next  day  and  night  we  kept  on,  with 
more  moderate  wind  and  smoother  water.  In- 
flammation had  set  in  from  my  wound,  and  I 


i5o      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

suffered  a  good  deal,  but  more  troublesome  than 
any  physical  pain  was  the  conduct  of  the  men, 
who  urged  that  it  were  better  to  set  up  as  free 
rovers  in  a  good  craft  than,  by  rejoining  the 
desperate  fortunes  of  Colonel  Walker  in  a  land 
and  cause  beset  by  enemies,  inevitably  meet 
with  hardship  and  death. 

Our  vessel,  they  argued,  would  hold  a  dozen 
bold  men,  whom  we  could  without  difficulty  pick 
up  in  the  small  seaports,  and  then  we  could  levy 
contributions  wherever  we  chose  in  the  sparsely 
settled  hamlets  along  the  coast. 

They  were  in  earnest,  and  but  for  their  lack 
of  confidence  in  their  ability  to  lead  themselves, 
would  doubtless  have  thrown  me  overboard. 
The  sight,  on  our  third  day  upon  the  sea,  of  the 
tall  masts  of  the  Vesta,  through  an  opening  in 
the  rock-bound  coast  we  were  passing,  was 
most  welcome  to  me. 

Soon  after  casting  loose  from  us,  the  people 
on  the  "  San  Jose  "  had  descried  the  Vesta 
cruising  near  "  El  Gigante,"  and,  being  a  very 
rapid  sailor,  gave  chase.  The  Vesta,  taking  her 
for  an  enemy,  since  she  flew  the  Costa  Rican 
flag,  tried  to  get  away,  but  was  overhauled,  and 
the  men  were  transferred  aboard  her. 

She  was  now  in  the  harbor  at  Realejo,  and 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.     i5i 

we  were  soon  lying  alongside  her.  Having  re- 
signed my  charge  to  Captain  Morton,  I  pro- 
ceeded in  a  row-boat  to  the  town,  where,  for- 
tunately for  me,  I  found  my  friend  Dr.  Dawson, 
of  Chinendega. 

From  the  effects  of  my  wound  and  exposure, 
fever  had  already  set  in,  and  the  good  doctor 
had  me  conveyed  in  a  cart  to  his  home  in 
Chinendega,  where  for  weeks  he  and  his  excel- 
lent Spanish  wife  gave  me  that  care  which, 
with  my  excellent  constitution,  effected  a  cure. 

During  my  sickness  and  convalescence  the 
"  American  phalanx,"  as  it  was  called,  remained 
in  Realejo  and  Chinendega. 

The  renown  which  they  obtained  by  their 
former  expedition  to  Rivas,  although  resulting 
in  defeat,  was  such  that  great  expectations  were 
attached  to  them.  Their  losses  were  more  than 
made  good  by  the  accession  to  their  ranks  of 
stray  Americans,  attracted  by  their  popularity, 
and  they  were  indeed  more  formidable,  thanks 
to  the  experience  they  had  gained,  than  before. 

The  conduct  of  Ramirez  and  his  men  was 
keenly  felt  and  regretted  by  the  more  sensi- 
tive of  the  Democratic  leaders,  prominent 
among  whom  was  General  Valle,  commonly 
called  Chelon.  He  was  an  especial  pet  of 


1 52       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

the  soldiers  of  the  Chinendega  department, 
where  he  commanded,  and  who,  besides  enter- 
taining an  intense  dislike  for  Mufioz,  secretly 
aspired  to  the  dictatorship  of  the  country,  for 
which  position  his  popularity  and  righting  pro- 
clivities rendered  him  peculiarly  fitted.  Besides 
this,  he  was  a  man  of  very  generous  impulses, 
and  his  present  wish,  as  he  said,  was  to  show 
the  Americans  that  all  Central  Americans  were 
neither  traitors  nor  cowards. 

When  Walker  failed  to  obtain  official  aid 
from  the  Leon  government,  owing  to  the  fac- 
tions which  opposed  the  President,  and  marched 
his  force  to  Realejo,  with  the  threat  of  seeking 
in  Honduras,  whither  the  President  had  cor- 
dially invited  him,  that  employment  for  his 
arms  which  faction  denied  him  in  Nicaragua, 
Chelon,  who  had  but  to  say  to  his  soldiers 
"  Come  on,"  and  they  would  follow  him  against 
their  President  himself,  if  required,  declared  that 
he  would  accompany  Walker  again  to  the 
Transit  route  with  an  adequate  force  to  wipe 
out  the  stain  of  Ramirez'  treason  from  the  peo- 
ple of  Nicaragua. 

This  was  after  all  the  easiest  solution  of  the 
question  for  the  President,  and  active  prepara- 
tions soon  resulted  in  placing  on  the  brig 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Vesta  and  a  ketch  as  consort  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  native  soldiers  with  Chelon  at 
their  head, — a  force  in  every  sense  reliable, 
making  with  the  Americans  a  little  army  sure 
to  give  a  good  account  of  themselves  hereafter. 

After  I  had  again  been  able  to  report  for 
duty,  my  time  was  mostly  employed  in  making 
such  preparations  as,  in  my  capacity  of  com- 
missary and  quartermaster,  would  put  the 
Americans  again  on  a  war  footing,  having 
ample  authority  to  give  vouchers  in  the  name 
of  the  government  for  necessary  supplies. 
The  government's  credit  was  good,  so  I  had 
little  difficulty  in  obtaining  what  the  country 
could  provide. 

There  was  one  exception  to  this  rule. 

A  Mr.  Manning,  formerly  British  Consul  at 
Chinendega,  who  had  become  wealthy  on  the 
monopolies  which  the  power  of  his  govern- 
ment had  enabled  him  to  procure  from  the 
Church  government  in  Nicaragua,  chanced  to 
have  the  only  supply  of  rifle-powder  and  per- 
cussion caps  in  the  town.  They  were  a  part 
of  his  merchandise,  and  I  sent  a  sergeant  with 
the  necessary  government  vouchers  for  their 
purchase.  He  refused  to  sell  them,  using  lan- 
guage disrespectful  to  the  Democratic  govern- 


154      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

ment  and  boasting  of  the  protection  he  derived 
from  that  of  Great  Britain.  I  consulted  Col- 
onel Walker,  for  I  wished  to  be  cautious  in  giv- 
ing cause  for  quarrel  against  the  government. 

Walker  said  that  as  munitions  of  war  they 
were  to  be  seized,  provided  Manning  would 
not  sell  them.  I  therefore  took  a  file  of  men, 
and  as  Manning,  when  I  approached  his  door, 
placed  the  ensign  of  St.  George  across  it,  mak- 
ing dire  threats  of  British  vengeance  if  I 
should  molest  it,  I  quietly,  but  with  proper 
respect  for  the  emblem  of  a  great  nation, 
placed  it  on  one  side  and  took  possession  of 
the  material  we  required.  Manning  willingly 
accepted  the  vouchers  I  tendered  when  he 
found  his  little  bluff  would  not  work. 

I  have  been  particular  in  describing  this  in- 
cident, as  Colonel  Walker,  in  his  account  of  it, 
has  implied  that  I  trampled  the  flag  under 
foot  by  his  order. 

As  I  happen  to  take  an  equal  pride  in 
my  English  birth  and  American  citizenship, 
and  would  dislike  to  be  thought  capable  of 
disgracing  either,  it  would  have  required 
greater  provocation  than  the  ill  temper  of  a 
vulgar  individual  to  cause  me  to  offer  an  in- 
dignity to  the  flag  of  my  native  land. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Departure  of  the  second  expedition — Narrow  escape  of  Colonel  Ra- 
mirez— Land  at  San  Juan — March  out  to  meet  the  enemy — Battle 
of  Virgin  Bay — Visions  of  empire — I  obtain  a  furlough. 

ON  the  23d  of  August  we  sailed  again  from 
the  port  of  Realejo  for  the  Meridional 
department.  As  we  were  floating  out  on  the 
tide,  the  schooner  San  Jose  was  anchoring  in 
the  harbor.  She  had  probably  been  in  at  San 
Juan  on  her  upward  voyage  from  Costa  Rica, 
therefore  Colonels  Walker,  Valle,  and  I  went 
aboard  of  her,  hoping  to  gain  information  that 
might  be  useful  to  our  projected  landing  there. 

As  we  neared  the  San  Jose  a  small  boat 
put  off  from  her  side.  As  she  passed  us  at  no 
great  distance,  we  strove  to  identify  the 
muffled  figure  in  the  stern,  who  seemed  equally 
desirous  of  avoiding  recognition. 

Mendez,  just  then  hailing  us  from  the  deck 
of  the  schooner  we  were  approaching,  our  at- 
tention was  diverted,  and  the  traitor  Ramirez, 

155 


156      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

thus  favored  by  luck,  escaped  vengeance 
from  our  hands. 

Mendez,  though  but  just  returning  from  his 
enforced  exile,  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  in 
deciding  to  return  with  us.  It  was  his  destiny, 
he  said,  never  to  miss  a  chance  of  getting 
knocked  on  the  head.  He  said  that  Ramirez 
had  excused  himself  for  deserting  us  before 
the  enemy  at  Rivas,  by  pleading  the  orders  of 
his  commanding  officer,  General  Munoz. 

Baffling  winds  blew  us  about  the  ocean  for 
six  days.  The  Asiatic  cholera  broke  out  on 
the  ketch  among  our  native  troops,  those  on 
the  Vesta  being  fortunately  exempt  from  the 
dreadful  scourge,  though  one  or  two  of  the 
Americans  had  died  of  it  in  Realejo. 

We  landed  at  San  Juan  without  opposition. 

General  Santos  Guardiola  was  in  command 
of  the  enemy  at  Rivas.  He  had  suffered  defeat 
at  Saunce  from  the  troops  under  command  of 
General  Munoz,  who,  however,  lost  his  life  in 
obtaining  his  victory. 

Guardiola  had  a  reputation  for  cruelty  similar 
to  that  of  Mendez,  being  surnamed  the  "  But- 
cher," as  he  usually  slaughtered  his  prisoners. 

So  far  from  his  name  causing  dread  among 
the  little  force  of  Democrats  who  had  isolated 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicarag^ta.      157 

themselves  from  their  friends  in  this  far-away 
spot,  the  undoubted  alternative  of  death  only 
nerved  them  for  victory.  Walker  no  longer 
showed  his  former  impatience.  Ever  ready  to 
meet  the  enemy,  he  no  longer  disdained  to  seek 
the  advantage,  or  at  least  an  equality  of  position. 
While  we  were  in  San  Juan,  the  steamer  from 
San  Francisco  arrived,  and  the  passengers  from 
the  Atlantic  side  of  the  transit  route.  The 
enemy  had  not  yet  appeared,  but  we  had  re- 
liable information  of  their  preparations  to  meet 
us.  To  show  that  we  did  not  intend  to  disap- 
point them,  the  Vesta  was  sent  away,  and  we 
marched  slowly  over  the  transit  road  towards 
Virgin  Bay,  in  which  vicinity  they  were  sup- 
posed to  be  awaiting  us. 

At  the  half-way  house  we  learned  that  they 
were  in  the  neighborhood  about  six  or  eight 
hundred  strong,  under  the  noted  Guardiola. 
We  bivouacked  for  the  night  in  some  fallen 
timber  on  a  hill-side.  They  did  not  make  their 
appearance  by  daylight,  so  we  resumed  our 
march  to  Virgin  Bay. 

I  ordered  breakfast  at  the  hotels  for  the 
Americans,  General  Valle  taking  charge  of  the 
guard  and  outpost  duty  with  our  native  troops. 

Modern  philosophy  traces   about    all  of  the 


158      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

progress  of  mankind  in  civilization  and  the  use- 
ful arts  to  that  awakening  of  the  intellect  pro- 
duced by  the  necessities  of  our  nature.  War  is 
perhaps  the  most  prolific  creator  of  such  neces- 
sities. 

It  is  fortunate  if  a  useful  moral  can  be  de- 
duced through  a  process  so  hideous  as  that  of 
human  slaughter.  The  mere  detail  of  battles 
seems  to  me  revolting  to  the  finer  instincts  of 
our  nature.  The  Americans  stacked  their  rifles 
under  a  guard,  in  front  of  the  hotel,  where  they 
were  getting  breakfast.  We  had  received  notice 
of  the  near  approach  of  the  enemy.  I  was  lean- 
ing over  the  rail  of  the  porch  of  the  Transit 
Company's  store-house,  conversing  with  the 
agent,  Mr.  Cortlandt  Gushing,  whom  I  had  per- 
suaded so  to  arrange  the  various  packages  of 
trunks  and  merchandise  within  the  building  as 
to  afford  a  partial  protection  to  those  citizens, 
women,  and  children,  who  would  instinctively 
seek  the  protection  of  a  powerful  neutral  like 
that  of  the  company  agent,  as  soon  as  the  battle 
should  begin. 

While  thus  engaged,  my  position  command- 
ing a  vista  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  along  the 
transit  road,  I  perceived  at  the  further  extremity 
of  the  view  a  single  white  puff  of  smoke,  fol- 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      159 

lowed  by  the  report  of  a  musket.  It  was  that 
of  our  native  vidette,  firing  on  the  advancing 
enemy.  Tossing  the  heavy  haversack  I  wore 
over  my  shoulder  to  Mr.  Gushing,  and  grasping 
my  rifle,  which  I  never  dispensed  with,  I  took 
my  place  beside  Colonel  Walker  at  the  head  of 
the  little  column  of  Americans,  who,  at  the  first 
tap  of  the  drum  calling  them  to  arms,  had  filed 
into  position  with  the  regularity  of  a  dress 
parade. 

Our  native  troops  had  formed  with  equal 
celerity  and  order,  so  that  when  the  flaunting 
pennons  and  white  ribbons  of  the  enemy  coming 
along  the  road  at  a  charge  were  fully  displayed 
within  the  village  street,  we  were  ready  and 
anxious  to  meet  them. 

No  particular  strategy  of  movement  was 
necessary  or  possible.  They  came  along  the 
road  at  a  swinging  trot,  their  muskets  at  a  trail. 
A  hundred  and  fifty  yards  to  their  left,  and  in  a 
parallel  line,  another  body  was  emerging  from 
the  woods,  a  little  farther  off. 

Leaving  these  latter  to  our  native  troops,  we 
advanced  straight  upon  those  coming  along  the 
road. 

They  came  on  gallantly,  changing  their  arms 
to  the  position  of  a  charge,  and  then,  as  we 


160      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

came  within  pistol-shot  of  them,  we  made  a 
slight  oblique  and  halting  movement,  de- 
livering our  fire  with  coolness  and  precision  on 
their  front  ranks. 

They  went  down  like  grass  before  a  scythe, 
their  bodies  and  the  severity  of  the  fire  abrupt- 
ly checking  their  advance. 

Then  they  delivered  their  fire  at  us,  Walker 
going  down  at  the  first  volley. 

As  I  was  beside  him,  I  assisted  him  to  his 
feet,  when  he  quickly  assured  his  alarmed  men 
that  he  was  not  seriously  hurt. 

A  bullet  had  grazed,  and  scorched  his  throat, 
while  another  had  passed  through  a  packet  of 
letters  in  his  coat-pocket. 

Their  fire,  fortunately  for  us,  was  rather  wild 
and  ill-directed,  but  sufficiently  close  to  give  us 
many  narrow  escapes. 

Every  rifleman,  as  he  hastily  rammed  his  car- 
tridge down  and  brought  his  rifle  to  his  shoul- 
der, made  a  sure  shot,  and  they  were  unable 
long  to  withstand  the  severe  punishment  they 
were  receiving. 

As  they  gradually  edged  away  to  some 
broken  ground  in  the  vicinity,  closely  followed 
by  the  Americans,  we  had  leisure  to  note  the 
progress  of  the  fray  between  Colonels  Valle  and 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      161 

Mendez  with  their  troops  opposed  to  a  much 
larger  body  of  the  enemy  who  had  deployed  in 
their  front  from  the  contiguous  woods. 

Our  natives,  though  fighting  stubbornly,  were 
making  no  headway  against  their  numerous  as- 
sailants, who  were,  in  fact,  gaining  ground  on 
them.  Walker  directed  Captain  Hornsby  to 
take  some  of  the  riflemen  and  go  to  the  aid  of 
our  allies. 

Only  a  few  followed  Hornsby,  I  among  them. 
As  we  came  on  the  theatre  of  action,  the  most 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  enemy's  front  was  an 
officer  on  a  white  horse,  who  was  gallantly  ur- 
ging his  men  to  charge. 

The  first  result  of  our  advent  was  the  pitch- 
ing of  man  and  horse  promiscuously  to  the 
ground.  We  afterward  ascertained  that  the 
officer  was  Colonel  Arguello,  the  same  who  had 
reinforced  Colonel  Bosque  in  our  previous  fight 
at  Rivas. 

I  was  felicitating  myself  on  the  check  we  had 
given  them,  when  an  exceedingly  sharp,  stinging 
sensation  in  my  side  warned  me  that  I  was  hit. 
So  great  was  the  pain,  that  I  sank  to  the  ground, 
remarking  to  Doctor  Jones,  who  was  behind 
me,  as  I  handed  him  my  rifle,  that  I  had  got  it 
this  time,  I  thought,  "  plumb  through  me." 


1 62      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Jones'  reply  was  the  exclamation  "  Look 
out !  "  running  at  the  same  time  with  the  rest  for 
the  corner  of  the  nearest  house.  The  enemy 
were  making  a  determined  charge,  and  actually 
passed  over  the  ground  on  which,  for  some  sec- 
onds, I  lay,  unable  to  rise.  When  I  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  staggering  to  my  feet,  their  white 
uniforms  intervened  between  me  and  the  houses 
from  behind  which  our  men  were  firing. 

Doctor  Jones,  whom  I  lately  met  in  San 
Francisco,  when  I  gently  reproached  him  for 
abandoning  me,  replied  that,  for  a  man  shot 
"  plumb  through,"  as  I  had  described  my  situa- 
tion to  him,  I  did  some  of  the  most  creditable 
running  through  the  enemy's  ranks  to  rejoin  my 
friends  that  was  ever  witnessed.  The  bullet  had 
struck  the  broad  buckle  of  my  sword-belt  with 
such  violence  as  to  produce  a  contusion  of  great 
severity,  from  which  I  suffered  much  after- 
wards. 

After  Colonel  Walker,  with  the  Americans, 
had  succeeded  in  driving  that  portion  of  the 
enemy  opposed  to  them  completely  off  the 
ground,  they  came  to  our  assistance  with  the 
rush  of  a  whirlwind.  Thus  reinforced,  we  made 
a  general  advance,  and  soon  cleared  the  town 
of  all  the  enemy  who  could  get  away. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      163 

The  victory  was  complete,  and  so  demoral- 
ized were  the  enemy  that,  taking  advantage  of 
the  shelter  of  the  contiguous  woods,  they  dis- 
banded to  their  homes,  leaving  Guardiola  to 
re-enter  Rivas  with  a  mere  squad  of  the  eight 
hundred  picked  men  with  which  he  had  sallied 
forth  with  the  declared  purpose  of  driving  the 
heretic  Americans  into  the  sea. 

We  buried  sixty  of  the  enemy  in  a  trench  by 
the  side  of  the  transit  road,  as  many  more  being 
found  dead  in  the  adjacent  woods. 

A  remarkable  result  on  our  side  was  that, 
though  many  of  the  Americans  were  severely 
wounded,  none  were  killed.  Our  native  troops 
did  not  escape  so  well,  the  enemy  having  proved 
more  stubborn  in  their  attack  on  them. 

Amidst  the  mutual  congratulations  between 
the  natives  and  Americans  over  our  victory, 
word  was  brought  that  Mendez  was  despatching 
the  wounded  of  the  enemy  who  still  lay  on  the 
field.  Hastening,  by  Walker's  order,  to  arrest 
this  outrage,  I  found  the  old  barbarian  knock- 
ing them  on  the  head  with  the  butt  of  a  musket, 
occasionally  alternating  the  amusement  by  a 
thrust  with  the  bayonet. 

He  followed  me  very  meekly,  and  after  re- 
ceiving the  severe  reprimand  which  Walker,  in 


164      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

good  humor  with  his  victory  and  in  considera- 
tion of  the  good  services  which  Mendez  had 
performed  in  the  battle,  contented  himself  with 
administering,  he  remarked  that  the  Americans 
were  not  accustomed  to  the  usages  of  the  coun- 
try ;  his  feelings  receiving  a  still  greater  shock 
as  he  witnessed  the  wounded  of  the  enemy 
placed  side  by  side  with  our  own  and  receiving 
the  same  care  and  consideration. 

Had  Walker,  indeed,  sought  to  make  this 
important  victory  a  basis  for  the  healing  of  the 
wounds  engendered  by  internecine  strife,  how 
beneficent  might  have  been  his  intervention, 
aided  by  the  fusion  of  Anglo-Saxon  energy  and 
enlightenment  with  the  semi-barbaric  civiliza- 
tion of  this  mongrel  Latin  people.  A  people 
more  sinned  against  than  sinning,  for  they  are  a 
kindly  race,  by  no  means  lacking  in  intelligence, 
but  overshadowed  in  their  liberties  alike  by 
Church  and  state.  It  will,  however,  be  seen  in 
the  sequel  it  was  no  part  of  Colonel  Walker's 
policy  to  foster  any  measures  looking  to  a 
peace. 

We  returned  the  next  day  to  San  Juan  and 
there  established  head-quarters  for  La  Demo- 
cracia  of  the  Meridional. 

Native  reinforcements  arrived  from  Leon  and 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      165 

every  steamer  from  San  Francisco  added  whole 
companies  to  the  Americans.  The  operations 
in  this  department  were  under  the  supreme  con- 
trol of  Colonel  Walker,  and  he  might  be  said 
already  to  hold  the  balance  of  power  in  the 
country,  for  the  subjugation  of  the  enemy  at 
Granada  was  already  a  foregone  conclusion. 

I  was  at  this  time  the  recipient  of  much  con- 
fidence from  the  man  whose  "  strange,  eventful 
history  "  came  near  marking  an  epoch  in  Ameri- 
can history. 

Whether  the  confidence  implies  honor,  or  the 
reverse,  will  be  interpreted  accordingly  as  men 
view  political  convulsions,  which  are  rarely  all 
wrong  on  one  side  and  all  right  on  the  other, 
the  usual  partisan  manner  of  describing  them. 

We  took  long  walks  on  the  beach,  the  rhyth- 
mic wave-beats  seeming  to  emphasize  the 
gigantic  plans  of  empire  he  unfolded. 

In  his  plan,  the  present  popular  movement 
was  to  obtain  a  temporary  success  in  order  to 
demonstrate  to  the  hierarchical  oligarchy  their 
necessity  for  his  aid,  by  which  he  would  in  the 
end  wield  the  temporal  power  over  Central 
America  and  Mexico  in  unison  with  the  policy 
and  influence  of  the  mother  Church.  Then 
faction  and  Church  combined  would  conquer  a 


1 66      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

unity  of  power  over  the  Central  American 
States,  with  himself,  of  course,  as  the  central 
figure. 

Once  united,  the  old  boundary  question- 
were  any  necessary — would  furnish  pretexts  for 
adding  Mexico  to  the  Central  American  Em- 
pire. The  United  States,  under  the  domination 
of  Southern  ideas,  which  were  supposed  to  be 
favorable  to  the  measure,  could  be  relied  on  to 
vindicate  the  "  Monroe  doctrine "  in  saying 
"  hands  off"  to  any  possible  European  inter- 
ference with  his  scheme. 

For  the  rest  the  plan  was  simple.  Conquest 
was  the  end,  and  by  the  simple  method  which 
is  epitomized  in  the  saying,  "  Nothing  succeeds 
like  success."  This  was  to  be  the  talisman  to 
draw  to  his  standard  not  only  the  bold  spirits 
ever  ready  to  follow  a  leader  without  asking 
questions,  but  also  the  more  timid  who  courted 
safety  by  an  adhesion  to  power  in  any  shape. 

The  impediments  of  constitutional  law  were, 
of  course,  considered  as  mere  cobwebs  to  be 
brushed  aside  by  the  power  which,  like  Louis 
the  Fourteenth,  could  declare,  "  I  am  the  State." 

Such  was  the  policy  outlined  by  this  bold 
and  capable,  but  not  sagacious  man  ;  not  saga- 
cious, inasmuch  as  he  took  no  account  of  a 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      167 

factor  in  modern  politics  all  powerful  now,  how- 
ever insignificant  it  may  have  been  anterior 
to  the  first  French  Revolution, — that  of  popular 
ideas. 

As  his  scheme  included  the  re-establishment 
of  slavery  in  a  population  the  majority  of  whom 
were  of  mixed  African  blood,  and  an  affilia- 
tion of  power  with  the  Church  in  a  time 
when  freedom  of  thought  had  made  progress, 
it  came  at  too  late  a  day  in  the  world's 
history. 

I  listened  to  this  conspiracy  against  the  pop- 
ular liberty,  for  which  I  had  entertained  a  roman- 
tic attachment,  and  my  heart  was  sad.  He  was 
ambitious  of  power,  while  I  was  merely  philo- 
sophic. 

"  T  is  in  ourselves  that  we  are  thus,  or  thus." 

I  was  young,  which  is  my  excuse  for  ventur- 
ing to  remonstrate  against  the  course  that  such 
a  man  had  determined  upon.  As  well  have  bid 
Niagara  to  stay  its  torrents.  He  was  offended 
—he  could  now  afford  to  be,  for  there  were 
plenty  of  able  men  willing  to  do  his  bidding.  I 
tendered  my  resignation,  well  knowing  that,  as 
victory  was  assured,  I  could  be  spared.  If  the 
flattering  offers  he  made  me  of  advancement, 
and  the  regrets  of  friends  I  had  made  in  the 


1 68      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

army,  could  have  solaced  me  for  the  destruction 
of  my  idols,  I  might  have  been  satisfied.  Mere 
power,  however,  had  no  attraction  for  me.  I 
yielded  so  far  as  to  accept  indefinite  leave  of  ab- 
sence instead  of  resigning.  I  had  shared  the 
dark  days  of  La  Democratic*.  Victory  over 
her  old  enemy  was  now  assured,  but  for  all  that, 
Democracy,  I  well  knew,  would  not  be  trium- 
phant. I  accepted  a  place  in  the  small  open 
boat*  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Temple,  of  San  Juan. 
We  sailed  along  the  blue  ocean  near  the  Nica- 
raguan  coast  to  the  harbor  of  Punta  Arenas  in 
Costa  Rica.  A  Peruvian  brig  was  dropping  out 
on  the  tide,  and  on  her  I  took  passage  to  Pana- 
ma, by  good  luck  escaping  the  tedious  quaran- 
tine that  awaited  passengers  from  cholera- 
stricken  Nicaragua. 

The  only  pay  or  reward  I  received  or  asked 
for,  in  leaving,  was  an  expression  in  writing 
from  General  Walker  of  satisfaction  with  my 
service.  This  was  so  cordial  that  the  steamship 
company  at  Panama  gave  me  a  complimentary 
passage  to  New  York.  The  calenture,  against 
which  I  had  been  proof  during  most  of  the  time 
of  my  residence  in  Nicaragua,  seized  me  with 
violence  at  Panama,  and  never  left  me  until 
after  I  had  been  some  time  at  home. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     169 

The  snow-covered  landscape  which  greeted 
my  eyes  as  they  carried  me  ashore  at  New 
York  offered  a  chilling  contrast  to  the  palm 
groves  I  had  left  behind. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Quiet  of  home  life — Review  of  the  acts  of  Colonel  Walker — His 
successes  and  subsequent  reverses — My  return  to  Central  Amer- 
ica— British  interference — Operations  on  the  river  San  Juan — 
Blown  up — Return  to  the  United  States. 

SINCE  the  arrival  of  the  Americans  in  Nica- 
ragua, circumstances  had  thrown  upon  me 
an  unusual  amount  of  work,  due  in  part  to  the 
experience  which  my  longer  residence  in  that 
country  had  given  me  of  men  and  things  con- 
nected with  the  war.  As  I  had  not  spared  my- 
self in  the  execution  of  the  business  or  military 
duties  that  devolved  on  me,  and  had  suffered  a 
good  deal  of  physical  prostration  from  the 
effects  of  wounds,  I  appreciated  the  relaxation 
of  the  peaceful  life  at  home. 

For  a  while  during  those  quiet  winter  months, 
my  dreams  were  full  of  surprises,  night  alarms, 
and  all  the  accompaniments  of  horrid  war. 
Sitting  beside  the  cheerful  winter  fire,  I  read 
the  press  accounts  of  the  wonderful  progress  of 
"  the  man  of  destiny  "  in  Nicaragua,  and  waited 

170 


The  "Filibuster"   War  in  Nicaragua.     171 

silently  for  the    inevitable   denouement   of  the 
course  he  was  taking. 

"  All  unavoided  is  the  doom  of  destiny." 

Granada  was  easily  captured.  The  accession 
to  Walker's  force  went  on  steadily  ;  the  demo- 
cratic administration  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States  interposed  little  or  no  obstacle  to 
the  departure  of  armed  emigrants  from  San 
Francisco  and  even  from  New  York.  The 
Church  party  of  Nicaragua  could  make  no  ade- 
quate opposition  to  that  of  the  people  thus  re- 
inforced, and  La  Democracia  was  triumphant. 

During  these  and  subsequent  proceedings, 
Chamorro  and  Castillon  both  died,  and  a  new 
election  was  inevitable.  Meantime  a  provisional 
government  was  set  up,  in  which  Walker,  as 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army,  was  virtually 
dictator.  This  it  was  perhaps  superfluous  to 
add,  for  those  -who  have  followed  the  narrative 
thus  far  need  not  be  told  that  he  would  brook 
no  authority  superior  to  his  own. 

He  was  subsequently  nominated  for  the 
presidency,  "  and  elected,"  exclaim  his  unquali- 
fied adherents.  So  he  was;  the  soldiers,  na- 
tive and  foreign,  being,  by  decree,  enfranchised 
and  entitled  to  vote  for  the  occasion.  The 


172      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

spirit  of  the  dictator  leaped  forth  at  a  bound. 
Slavery  was  decreed,  not  voted  for — that  would 
have  been  absurd.  The  Vanderbilt  Transit 
Company  charter  was  annulled  by  the  same 
process,  and  the  property  seized  for  delinquent 
dues  owing  to  the  government,  the  plea  of  the 
company  being  that,  as  there  had  been  two  gov- 
ernments de  facto,  any  payment  to  the  one 
would  not  be  recognized  by  the  other  when 
attaining  supreme  power.  The  valuable  prop- 
erty and  powerful  influence  of  this  important 
corporation  was  turned  over  to  a  personal  friend 
of  General  Walker. 

The  power  and  authority  of  Great  Britain  in 
the  affairs  of  Central  America,  derived  under  the 
Clayton- Bui wer  treaty,  was  defied,  as  that  of 
the  United  States  under  the  same  derivation 
was  snubbed  in  the  seizure  of  the  property  of 
her  citizens,  in  the  seizure  of  the  transit  com- 
pany's property,  and  all  this  under  the  alliance 
and  supposed  backing  to  be  had  from  the  South- 
ern United  States. 

Could  arrogance  go  further  ?  In  Nicaragua 
itself,  native  applicants  for  office,  whose  families 
by  long  usage  had  acquired  an  almost  traditional 
right  to  such,  were  coldly  informed  that  only 
North  American  citizens  would  be  given  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua*      173 

places  of  trust.  Many  of  these  Northerners  were 
gamblers  or  speculators,  capable  of  sustaining 
the  power  of  Walker  by  their  money.  There 
were  honorable  exceptions  to  this  rule,  and  usu- 
ally among-  those  selected  for  places  of  trust, 
the  men  who  had  contributed  their  aid  in 
battle  were  found  reliable  in  other  relations. 

Many  of  these  arbitrary  acts  were  executed 
while  Walker  was  President,  others,  while  he 
was  commander-in-chief  only.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  discriminate,  all  originated  with  him. 

The  world  gazed  in  wonder  and  expectancy, 
for  these  events  followed  each  other  with  sur- 
prising rapidity.  I  watched  them  from  my  far- 
away home  without  any  inclination  to  profit  by 
the  success  of  my  former  comrade  and  leader. 

Suddenly  the  British  Government,  no  longer 
hampered  with  the  burden  of  their  war  with 
Russia,  made  a  direct  demand  of  the  United 
States  Government  that  enlistments  within  her 
boundaries  for  service  against  the  peace  of  a 
neighboring  state  should  cease.  The  anti- 
slavery  party  in  the  Northern  States  at  the  same 
time  declaimed  vehemently  against  the  adminis- 
tration that  countenanced  the  proceedings  of  a 
usurping  slaveocracy. 

Vanderbilt  and  the  other  owners  of  the  tran- 


1 74      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

sit  franchises  and  property  seized  by  Walker, 
sent  cargoes  of  Minie  muskets  and  fixed 
ammunition  to  the  Central  American  opposition 
to  Walker,  now  organizing  in  Costa  Rica. 

"  The  Man  of  Destiny  "  thus  found  himself 
cut  off  from  supplies  of  men,  as  Mr.  Buchanan 
dared  not  disregard  the  menacing  attitude  of  the 
world,  at  home  and  abroad,  an  attitude  chiefly  at- 
tributable to  Walker's  slavery  policy.  Northern 
capitalists,  for  the  same  reason,  withdrew  their 
aid,  and  the  people  of  Central  America,  except- 
ing a  portion  of  the  Democratic  faction  of 
Nicaragua,  forgot  for  the  time  their  traditional 
hatreds,  and  united  against  a  power  that  threat- 
ened even  their  personal  liberty.  The  execu- 
tion of  General  Coral,  formerly  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Church  party  of  Granada,  and  of 
Don  Mariano  Salasar,  a  wealthy  merchant  of 
Leon,  for  undoubted  conspiracy  against  the 
government,  was  an  ill-judged  stroke,  for  their 
treason  was  rather  against  the  American  dom- 
ination than  against  the  constitutional  govern- 
ment which  Walker's  decrees  were  violating 
under  the  very  thin  veil  of  military  necessity. 

The  men  of  note,  including  some  of  the  most 
patriotic  and  prominent  Democrats,  gradually 
drifted  to  the  republic  of  Costa  Rica,  and  there, 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      175 

in  conjunction  with  deputations  from  the  other 
Central  American  states,  aided  in  organizing 
the  army  for  which  each  state  contributed  a 
contingent  for  the  purpose  of  recovering  the 
government  of  Nicaragua,  as  they  alleged,  from 
the  usurpation  of  a  stranger. 

This  combination  might  not  have  been  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  have  effected  its  purpose,  had 
not  the  unwise  and  arbitrary  acts  of  Walker  in 
the  matter  of  slavery,  and  his  violent  inter- 
ference with  questions  which  should  have  been 
left  to  the  arbitration  of  the  courts,  caused 
Northern  capitalists  to  withhold  their  financial 
support,  and  gave  to  Great  Britain's  assumption 
of  moral  championship  the  support  of  universal 
popular  sentiment.  In  consequence  of  this  sen- 
timent, Mr.  Buchanan  had  to  disregard  the 
wishes  of  his  Southern  friends,  and  to  instruct 
the  American  naval  and  harbor  officials  to  cap- 
ture armed  emigrants  and  refuse  clearances  to 
vessels  carrying  such.  This  course  left  Walker, 
with  the  two  or  three  thousand  American  troops 
and  the  disaffected  of  the  Democratic  faction  in 
Nicaragua,  to  contend  against  the  combined 
armies  of  the  Central  American  states,  with  the 
avenues  for  recruiting  his  constantly  diminishing 
force  nearly  closed  against  him. 


176      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.. 

The  crisis  had  arrived  for  me.  I  could  read 
of  his  successes  and  those  of  my  countrymen 
without  regretting  that  I  was  not  with  them. 
When  the  story  of  hardships,  reverses,  the 
opposition  of  overwhelming  numbers,  came  to 
be  chronicled,  I  could  only  feel  that  my  place 
was  with  them. 

I  proceeded  to  New  York  and  took  passage 
on  the  Orizaba  for  Grey  town,  or  San  Juan  del 
Norte.  I  found  on  board,  bound  for  the  same 
destination,  my  old  comrade,  Lieutenant,  now 
Colonel  Frank  Anderson,  and  General  Robert 
Wheat,  who  had  fought  with  distinction  under 
General  Alvarez  in  Mexico,  and  in  the  Lopez 
expedition  for  the  capture  of  the  island  of 
Cuba.  In  the  latter  exploit  he  fared  some- 
what better  than  some  of  his  companions,  who 
were  executed,  while  he  was  sent  to  Spain  in 
irons.  He  was  pardoned  out  of  the  dungeons 
of  that  country  only  to  suffer  wounds  and 
hardships  in  Nicaragua,  and  ^  subsequently 
death  at  the  hands  of  his  countrymen,  as 
Colonel  of  the  "  Louisiana  Tigers,"  in  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion. 

Bob  was  a  warm-hearted  and  chivalrous 
gentleman  of  Virginia.  Among  those  living 
who  yet  remember  him,  none  will  gainsay  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      177 

truth  of  this  humble  tribute  to  his  memory. 
That  he  was  brave  as  the  bravest  is  also  as 
well  known. 

There  were  others  on  board  the  steamer 
like  myself  seeking  to  rejoin  the  desperate 
fortunes  of  the  Americans  in  Nicaragua. 
When  we  arrived  at  Greytown  we  found  Col- 
onel Lockridge,  of  Texas,  who,  although  only 
a  master  of  transportation  for  recruits  in 
Walker's  army,  was,  as  such,  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  company  of  men  whom  he  was 
conducting  to  Nicaragua  for  Walker's  service. 
Both  Colonel  Anderson  and  myself  outranked 
Lockridge,  but  as  his  men  had  not  yet  been 
turned  over  to  the  Nicaragua  service,  he  re- 
tained command  of  them. 

We  ascertained  on  landing  that  the  enemy 
had  compelled  General  Henningsen  finally  to 
evacuate  Granada,  not,  however,  until  his 
gallant  defence  had  excited  the  admiration  of 
the  world. 

Walker's  head-quarters  at  this  time  was  at 
Rivas,  but  the  swarm  of  enemies  which  the 
United  Central  American  states  had  banded 
in  arms  against  him  had  compelled  him  to 
withdraw  the  troops  which  had  held  possession 
of  the  various  points  on  the  transit  route.  The 


178       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

enemy  now  had  possession  of  the  lake  and 
river  steamers  and  the  various  points  of  de- 
fence on  that  line,  so  that  our  way  between 
Greytown  and  Rivas,  where  we  had  hoped  to 
effect  a  junction  with  Walker,  was  beset  by 
the  armed  posts  and  garrisons  of  the  enemy, 
who  also  had  the  steamers.  In  this  dilemma 
Colonel  Lockridge  purchased  the  only  avail- 
able craft  to  be  found,  a  small,  open-decked 
river  steamer,  which  had  been  condemned  be- 
cause of  the  rottenness  of  her  machinery. 

While  this  boat  was  repairing,  the  men  were 
removed  to  the  sand  spit  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  known  as  Punta  Arenas — Point  of  Sand. 

The  removal  was  made  in  consequence  of 
the  interference  of  the  officers  of  Her  Britannic 
Majesty's  navy  with  our  men,  whom  they 
sought  to  discourage  by  every  means  in  their 
power.  They  represented  that  Walker  was 
keeping  up  a  hopeless  war  for  personal  ag- 
grandizement, and  was  opposed  both  by  a 
legion  of  enemies  and  by  the  sentiment  of  the 
better  part  of  the  world.  Lockridge  had  re- 
cruited most  of  this  lot  from  the  wharves  and 
slums  of  New  Orleans,  and  when  the  Britons 
offered  them  free  transportation  back  to  the 
United  States,  there  were  many  who  were 
glad  to  leave  us. 


The  " Filibuster"   War  in  Nicaragua.     179 

The  point  was  hardly  habitable  in  this  the 
rainy  season.  It  had  no  shelter  and  we  had 
no  tents,  and  were  obliged  to  improvise  loose 
shanties  from  some  lumber  stacked  there. 
When  the  men  were  thus  removed  from  the 
allurements  of  our  persecutors,  Captain  Cock- 
burn  of  the  gunboat  Cossack  ranged  his  broad- 
side to  bear  on  our  little  camp  at  close  dis- 
tance, and  coming  to  the  point  in  his  gig, 
ordered  Lockridge  to  parade  his  men,  as  by 
order  of  Captain  Erskine  commanding  the 
fleet,  he  wanted  every  British  subject  we  had 
in  our  ranks.  "  This  right  of  search  on  the 
high  seas,"  which  the  English  arrogated  up  till 
our  civil  war,  when  their  pretensions  received 
so  severe  a  check,  was  then  acquiesced  in  by 
the  powerful  American  republic,  with  a  meek- 
ness calculated  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the 
people  of  to-day. 

We  had  no  choice  but  to  submit.  The 
men  were  paraded  by  Lockridge,  and  about 
twenty  accepted  the  immunity  from  danger 
and  free  transportion  to  the  United  States  of- 
fered by  Cockburn. 

In  justice  to  the  Irish  and  English  in  our  com- 
pany, it  is  proper  to  state  that  most  of  these 
British  subjects  spoke  with  a  Teutonic  accent. 


180      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

General  Wheat,  hoping  to  fasten  a  quarrel 
on  Cockburn,  pointed  me  out  to  him  as  a 
"  British  subject,"  for  I  had  been  born  in 
England.  The  witless  Briton,  thinking  to 
make  a  convert  of  me,  actually  offered  me 
his  protection  ! 

I  am  afraid  my  language  was  very  bad  to 
him,  for  Wheat  tried  suavely  to  convince  him 
that  he  ought  to  resent  it  in  the  manner 
customary  among  gentlemen.  As  a  last  in- 
ducement he  offered  to  take  my  place  if  Cock- 
burn  had  any  scruples  about  matching  his 
rank  with  that  of  a  Nicaraguan  officer  ;  he, 
Wheat,  claiming  no  rank  other  than  that 
of  an  American  gentleman,  and  as  such  the 
equal  of  any  one.  Captain  Cockburn,  con- 
tinuing to  disregard  the  invitation  to  a  per- 
sonal settlement,  Wheat  told  him,  much  to 
the  amusement  of  the  grinning  sailors  who 
manned  his  boat,  that  he  was  sorry  to  see 
an  English  tar  take  refuge  in  his  rank  at 
the  expense  of  his  courage. 

Harassed  by  these  repeated  annoyances, 
which  tended  to  demoralize  the  men,  who 
saw  us  helpless  to  resent  such  insults,  we 
welcomed  the  little  rickety  steamer  on  which 
we  at  last  were  to  embark,  and  lost  no  time 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      181 

in  steaming  away  from  the  vicinity  of  our  too 
powerful  tormentors. 

The  banks  of  the  San.  Juan  are  mere  swamps 
for  a  considerable  distance  from  the  sea,  so 
that,  although  we  could  make  no  landing,  we 
were  at  least  exempt  from  the  danger  of  run- 
ning into  an  ambush  of  the  enemy.  But  after 
we  had  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  San 
Francisco  and  were  approaching  the  higher 
ground,  we  kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  the 
enemy. 

A  few  hours'  steaming  brought  us  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Serapaqui  River. 

Costa  Rica  claimed  the  territory  along  this 
river  to  the  San  Juan,  and  we  saw  the  flag  of 
that  nation  flying  over  the  fort  constructed  at 
its  mouth. 

Steaming  up  within  musket-range  of  this 
work,  we  were  greeted,  without  other  hail  or 
ceremony,  with  a  fusilade  of  bullets,  which, 
whistling  about  us,  notified  us  not  only  of 
the  intention  of  the  garrison,  but,  by  the  pe- 
culiar sound  that  Vanderbilt's  cargoes  of  Minie 
rifles  had  reached  their  destination. 

We  landed  a  little  below  and  on  the  bank  of 
the  San  Juan  opposite  to  that  claimed  by  Costa 
Rica.  Here  Lockridge  made  his  first  injudi- 


182       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

clous  move,  in  causing  log-defences  to  be 
thrown  up.  Nothing  is  so  demoralizing  to 
men,  who  have  absolutely  to  rely  on  them- 
selves, as  this  seeming  distrust  of  their  ability. 

Besides  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sera- 
paqui,  the  enemy  had  an  earthwork  opposite 
on  our  side  the  river.  This,  Anderson  and  I 
persuaded  Lockridge  to  attack,  and  we  carried 
it  after  a  rather  stubborn  resistance,  in  which 
the  enemy  were  supported  by  the  guns  across 
the  river  at  Fort  Serapaqui. 

Our  losses  were  trifling,  but  the  force  devel- 
oped by  the  firing  from  the  fort  warned  us 
that  we  should  have  a  more  serious  job  in  cap- 
turing that  place — a  feat  to  be  accomplished 
before  we  could  ascend  the  river. 

Lockridge  was  willing  to  entrust  the  affair 
to  Anderson  and  myself.  We  prepared  for  the 
attempt  as  soon  as  Wheat  had  devised  a  kind 
of  chain-shot  composed  of  melted  leaden  balls 
connected  by  short  chains,  to  be  used  in  the 
small  brass  pieces  which  we  had  captured  at 
Cody's  point  opposite. 

We  crossed  the  San  Juan  in  our  little  steamer 
about  midnight,  a  mile  or  two  below  the  fort, 
which  was  on  the  further  bank  of  the  Sera- 
paqui, and,  as  we  had  to  cut  our  way  through 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      183 

the  thick  jungle,  we  did  not  reach  the  small 
clearing  of  felled  timber,  which  had  recently 
been  cut  down  at  the  mouth  of  the  Serapaqui, 
until  near  daylight. 

This  clearing  was  intended  to  destroy  the 
cover  which  the  standing  timber  made  for  an 
enemy  in  attacking  the  fort.  But,  as  the  logs 
had  not  been  removed,  it  offered  good  protec- 
tion, provided  the  men  kept  close  to  them. 
As  the  Serapaqui  was  a  narrow  river,  it  was 
quite  close  enough  for  effective  shooting  by 
skilled  marksmen. 

Colonel  Anderson  and  myself  were  old 
friends.  He  was  hardly  recovered  from  the 
wounds  which  were  the  cause  of  his  absence 
from  Nicaragua,  and  said  he  would  give  me 
a  chance  to  win  my  promotion  by  leaving  me 
the  more  active  management  of  the  attack. 

We  got  well  under  cover  of  the  logs  be- 
fore daylight,  suffering  but  little  from  the  un- 
certain fire  directed  on  us  in  the  darkness, 
from  the  fort.  My  plan  was  to  open  fire  at 
daylight.  Wheat  had  been  instructed  to  open 
on  them  simultaneously  with  his  small  field- 
pieces,  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  San  Juan 
River. 

Thus  we   established   a   kind  of  triangular 


184      The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua. 

fight,  with  the  advantage  of  occupying  two 
of  the  angles  ourselves. 

The  firing  for  about  an  hour  was  really  very 
sharp,  and  the  casualties  frequent  on  our  side, 
for  whenever  a  head  or  arm  was  exposed  in 
the  act  of  firing,  the  rain  of  bullets  was  pretty 
sure  to  find  it.  By  the  slackening  of  their  fire 
we  judged  the  opportunity  to  have  come  ;  we 
charged  by  fording  the  shallow  river  a  little 
above,  surprised  at  the  time  that  we  encoun- 
tered so  little  opposition  to  our  advance  from 
an  enemy  who  had  replied  so  wTell  to  our  fire 
from  behind  the  logs. 

On  entering  the  fort  the  thing  was  explained 
by  the  large  number  of  dead  we  found.  This 
showed  that  Wheat's  artillery  and  our  fire 
combined  had  rendered  the  place  untenable, 
and  that  the  garrison  had  taken  to  the  woods. 

Our  own  men  who  had  fallen  were  decently 
buried,  but  Lockridge  conceived  the  novel  idea 
of  notifying  the  British,  who  had  persecuted 
us  so  much  in  the  harbor  of  Greytown,  of  our 
victory,  by  throwing  the  dead  of  the  enemy 
into  the  river,  whose  rapid  current,  when  the 
tide  set  outward,  soon  carried  to  the  sea  those 
spared  by  the  alligators. 

The  impractibility  of  any  successful  pursuit 


The  "  Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.     1 85 

of  the  enemy  through  the  dense  woods  forced 
us  to  leave  them  unmolested  to  find  their  way 
to  the  interior  of  the  state,  and  we  moved 
our  camp  into  the  newly  captured  fort. 

Soon  after  this  affair,  Colonel  Titus,  of 
Kansas  border  warfare  notoriety,  arrived  with 
a  fine-looking  company  of  men.  It  was  pro- 
posed by  Lockridge  that  Anderson,  who  was 
the  officer  senior  in  rank  present,  should  com- 
mand an  expedition  for  the  capture  of  .Fort 
Castillo  higher  up  the  river. 

This  historic  fort,  which  at  an  earlier  day 
had  been  captured  by  Admiral  Lord  Nelson, 
held  a  commanding  position  with  its  water 
batteries  on  the  river.  Titus,  who  was  blown 
full  of  pride  by  the  cheap  reputation  he  had 
acquired  in  burning  defenceless  houses  on  the 
Missouri-Kansas  frontier,  refused  to  serve 
under  any  one,  but  offered  to  capture  the 
"blank  place  "  with  his  company  alone. 

We  had  information  that  Castillo  was 
weakly  guarded,  most  of  the  enemy  being 
concentrated  at  Fort  San  Carlos,  still  higher 
up  the  river.  Titus  was  permitted  to  go — 
a  great  mistake  of  Lockridge,  who  should 
never  have  entrusted  so  important  an  under- 
taking to  an  untried  man. 


1 86       The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

He  found  the  water  batteries  almost  without 
defence,  the  few  soldiers  in  charge  retreating 
to  the  fort  on  the  hill,  as  soon  as  the  little 
steamer  bearing  Titus'  command  was  descried 
approaching.  Titus,  without  opposition,  took 
possession  of  the  batteries  and  of  a  lake 
steamer,  the  Scott,  that  he  found  tied  up  near 
them,  and  then  summoned  the  fort  above  to 
surrender. 

They  replied,  requesting  twenty-four  hours 
in  which  to  convey  a  message,  asking  permission 
for  the  surrender,  of  the  commandant  at  Fort 
San  Carlos.  Titus,  who  had  no  real  soldierly 
knowledge  or  qualifications,  granted  the  re- 
quest, and  had  the  mortification,  before  his 
truce  had  expired,  of  seeing  the  fort  reinforced 
by  the  arrival  of  a  strong  detachment  from  the 
fort  above,  so  that  he  had  barely  time  to  cut  his 
two  steamers  adrift  and  get  from  under  their 
guns,  leaving  the  passage  of  the  river  far  more 
formidable  than  before. 

We  ascertained  afterwards  that  when  he 
first  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  it 
contained  a  mere  corporal's  guard,  left  for  pur- 
poses of  observation.  By  such  mismanagement 
in  details  great  undertakings  are  often  frus- 
trated. This  opportunity  lost,  the  men  began 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      187 

to  show  signs  of  discontent  and  insubordina- 
tion. The  Kansas  troops,  though  fine  in 
appearance,  wholly  lacked  discipline,  and  de- 
sertions became  numerous.  They  actually 
constructed  rafts  during  their  night  watches, 
and  men  and  officers  floated  down  the  river  to 
Greytown,  leaving  the  camp  unguarded.  So 
demoralized  had  the  condition  of  the  men 
become,  that  Colonel  Anderson,  with  some 
few  others,  had  nearly  decided  that  our  only 
chance  of  rejoining  General  Walker  at  Rivas 
would  be  to  take  passage  to  Panama,  and 
thence  to  San  Juan  del  Sur,  when  the  ar- 
rival of  Captain  Marcellus  French  with  a 
company  of  Texas  Rangers  gave  us  hope  of 
forcing  the  passage  of  the  river.  These  men 
were  of  the  kind  equal  to  any  thing  requiring 
courage  and  skill  in  action. 

The  entire  command  was  at  once  embarked 
on  the  steamers,  and  when  we  came  near  fort 
Castillo  a  landing  was  effected  and  a  reconnais- 
ance  in  force  made  of  the  place,  by  way  of 
Nelson's  Hill.  From  this  point  some  of  us 
managed  to  get  within  plain  view  of  the  Fort 
from  the  land  side.  Unfortunately  a  deep 
ravine  intervened,  and  this  was  filled  with 
abatis  and  various  obstructions  to  a  quick 


1 88      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

assault,  which  had  to  be  made  down  one  hill 
and  up  another,  in  the  face  of  a  complete 
park  of  artillery  and  a  vigilant  and  numerous 
garrison  on  the  hill  above. 

We  unanimously  decided  that  its  capture 
without  artillery  was  impracticable,  and,  as  the 
river  front  was  equally  well  guarded,  we  had 
to  abandon  the  attempt  of  passing  up  the  river 
with  our  fragile  steamers.  It  was  decided 
that  a  few  of  us,  with  the  Texans,  would  re- 
turn down  the  river  and  join  Walker  by  way 
of  Panama  and  San  Juan  del  Sur,  leaving  the 
mass  of  the  troops,  now  utterly  worthless,  to 
be  managed  by  Lockridge  as  he  might  see 
fit. 

We  reembarked  the  Texans,  and  the  best  of 
the  men  being  put  aboard  the  Scott,  the  best 
steamer,  we  left  the  rest  to  make  their  way  by 
the  other  as  they  could. 

The  enemy  had  lately  developed  an  activity 
in  inverse  proportion  to  our  own,  having  been 
frequently  seen  scouting  near  Fort  Serapaqui. 
Therefore  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  make  a 
reconnaissance  before  attempting  to  pass  that 
point.  The  head  of  the  Scott  was  grounded 
on  a  sand  bank,  and  a  small  party  landed  for 
that  purpose. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      189 

I  was  watching  them  as  they  wound  in  and 
out  among  the  trees,  my  elbow  resting  on  the 
window-sill  of  the  pilot-house  on  the  upper 
deck  of  the  Scott,  when  suddenly  I  felt  myself 
hurled  into  the  air  with  terrific  force.  The 
engineer  had  pumped  cold  water  into  the 
superheated  cylinder,  and  the  boiler  had 
burst,  tearing  the  entire  front  of  the  boat  into 
fragments. 

Bruised  and  mangled  from  contact  with  the 
splinters  and  debris  of  the  wreck,  I  yet  re- 
tained consciousness  and  with  it  an  unusual 
clearness  of  intellect.  Perfectly  aware  of  what 
had  happened,  I  could  speculate  on  the  end 
which  seemed  at  hand,  and  even  entertain  a 
vivid  curiosity  to  solve  the  problem  which  had 
afforded  me  so  much  labor  of  thought  in  life— 
"  that  something  after  death." 

The  shock  that  dissipated  these  fancies  was 
when,  amid  a  thousand  fragments,  I  struck  on 
what  proved  to  be  the  debris  about  the  dis- 
rupted cylinder  on  the  lowest  deck.  I  was 
plunged  into  the  steam  and  scalding  water, 
from  which,  half  stupefied,  I  managed  to  raise 
myself,  but  was  utterly  unable  to  take  a  single 
step  away  from  the  dangerous  proximity  of 
steam  and  fire,  Flames  were  springing  up  in 


190      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

all  directions,  and  the  agonizing  wail  from  the 
charred  and  bruised  victims  of  the  catastrophe 
arose  on  the  air,  some  begging  to  be  shot  and 
put  out  of  their  intense  pain.  In  the  midst  of 
these  lamentations  the  cry  of  "  The  powder  !  " 
was  raised. 

About  three  tons  of  this  combustible  were 
piled  on  the  upper  deck,  its  weight  having 
caused  the  breakage  to  terminate  just  where 
it  was  placed.  The  tarpaulins  which  had  been 
thrown  over  the  powder  to  protect  it  from  the 
sparks  from  the  chimney  were  ablaze,  and  the 
sight  caused  a  temporary  panic  among  the 
unhurt  men,  who  were  instantly  scampering 
for  the  woods.  I  could  only  gaze  at  it  and 
wonder  how  soon  the  second  and  final  act 
would  come. 

But  the  voices  of  Anderson  and  honest  Bob 
Wheat  were  raised  for  volunteers,  and  leading 
the  way,  they  scrambled  up  the  wreck  and  tore 
the  flaming  canvas  away — and  yet  they  were 
called  "  Filibusters/'  They  next  came  to  my 
rescue,  lifting  me  tenderly  over  the  wreck. 
At  my  urgent  request  they  laid  me  in  the  cool 
water  of  the  river,  for  my  sufferings  from  the 
boiling  water  and  the  steam  were  intolerable. 
The  surgeon  next  came,  and  would  have  pro- 


m 

The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      191 

ceeded  to  dress  my  wounds  at  once,  but  after 
giving  his  opinion  that,  unless  seriously  in- 
jured by  the  steam,  I  should  recover,  I  begged 
him  to  see  to  those  whose  screams  denoted 
agony  of  suffering. 

About  twenty  were  killed,  and  many  more 
badly  injured. 

The  entire  command  had  to  be  taken 
aboard  the  little  steamer,  in  which  we  were 
conveyed  to  Greytown.  The  English  war 
vessels  were  still  there,  and  their  officers  vied 
with  each  other  in  rendering  aid  to  all.  Most 
of  the  men  accepted  free  transportation  to 
Panama. 

I  had  been  both  bruised  and  severely 
scalded.  A  German,  who  was  an  inhabitant 
of  Greytown,  moved  solely  by  pity  for  my 
situation,  had  me  conveyed  to  his  house,  and 
although  I  told  him  I  could  not  recompense 
him,  he  and  his  kind  Irish  wife  bestowed  un- 
tiring care  and  attention  on  me.  The  British 
navy  surgeon  constantly  attended  me,  and 
brought  me  delicacies  from  the  navy  stores. 
After  many,  weeks  I  was  able  to  take  passage 
to  Panama,  and  thence,  much  enfeebled  by  the 
physical  shock,  I  went  to  the  United  States, 


CHAPTER   XII. 

The  Americans  beleaguered  in  Rivas — Accept  terms  from  the  enemy 
— They  leave  Nicaragua — Subsequent  efforts  at  return — Tried  for 
violation  of  the  neutrality  laws — Acquitted — An  expedition  from 
Mobile — Evading  the  revenue  cutter — "  Over  the  blue  waters  " — A 
shipwreck — Rescued — Life  on  a  coral  island — Return  to  Mobile — 
Take  leave  of  Walker — His  subsequent  expedition  and  death. 

THE  failure  of  Colonel  Lockridge  to  force 
a  passage  by  the  river  San  Juan,  and 
thereby  open  a  way  to  reinforce  Walker,  be- 
leaguered in  Rivas  by  an  overwhelming  body 
of  the  united  troops  of  the  Central  American 
states,  was  the  virtual  cause  of  Walker's  ulti- 
mate defeat  in  Nicaragua. 

The  allied  army,  it  is  true,  failed  to  rout  the 
small  body  of  heroic  men,  but  the  result  of  the 
repeated  engagements  was  a  steady  and  rapid 
diminution  of  the  Americans,  who  gained 
nothing  by  the  destruction  they  inflicted  on 
the  enemy,  whose  ranks  were  constantly  re- 
plenished by  forced  levies.  The  end  was  evi- 
dently only  a  question  of  time. 

Captain  Davis,  of  the  U.  S,  sloop-of-war, 
192 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      193 

St.  Mary's,  then  in  the  harbor  at  San  Juan  del 
Sur,  seeing  that,  without  outside  aid,  Walker's 
handful  of  brave  men  must  be  destroyed,  for 
Walker  would  never  compromise,  sought  and 
concluded  terms  with  the  enemy.  It  was 
agreed  that  Walker  and  his  officers  should 
leave  Rivas,  retaining  their  side-arms,  and 
embarking  on  board  the  St.  Mary's,  while  the 
soldiers  and  adherents  of  his  government- 
native  and  foreign,  were  granted  amnesty  and 
the  privilege  of  remaining  in  or  leaving  the 
country. 

Favorable  as  these  terms  would  seem  for 
men  who  were  reduced  by  hunger,  disease,  and 
death,  almost  to  extremity,  Walker  always  as- 
sumed that  he  was  in  a  manner  coerced  into 
accepting  them  by  Captain  Davis  and  his  own 
officers.  And,  in  this  assertion  he  was,  doubt- 
less, strictly  sincere,  for  I  think  he  would  have 
preferred  to  fight  to  the  last  man. 

He  had  no  sooner  set  foot  on  his  native 
soil  than  he  began  to  prepare  an  expedition 
by  which  to  retrieve  his  fortunes  and  reassert 
the  rights  which  he  claimed  to  have  been  un- 
justly dispossessed  of  in  Nicaragua.  That  he 
and  his  adherents  had  acquired  rights,  vested 
and  political,  is  not  to  be  gainsaid.  How  far 


194      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

they  were  forfeited  by  armed  violation  of  the 
constitutional  laws  of  the  nation,  I  must  leave 
for  others  more  competent  to  decide. 

Questions  of  this  nature  are  not  habitually 
settled  by  the  courts  in  Nicaragua,  nor  would 
such  an  appeal  have  suited  the  impetuous  na- 
ture of  the  man  who  had  in  various  ways  al- 
ready defied  the  public  sentiment  of  the 
world. 

I  shall  pass  over  the  various  efforts  of 
Southern  congressmen  and  others  to  induce 
the  government  of  the  United  States  to  hurl 
defiance  to  the  world  in  favor  of  maintaining 
the  rights  of  the  Americans  in  Nicaragua. 
England,  no  longer  hampered  with  her  Rus- 
sian campaign,  demanded  of  the  United  States 
that  enlistments  for  service  against  the  peace 
of  her  Nicaraguan  ally  should  cease  in  this 
country,  and  the  powerful  anti-slavery  party  of 
the  Northern  States  reechoed  the  cry,  insist- 
ing that  no  government  aid  should  be  given 
to  establish  slavery  in  Central  America. 

The  President  endeavored  to  steer  a  middle 
course,  hoping  thereby  to  retain  the  good-will 
alike  of  the  South  and  the  North. 

Vessels  were  permitted  to  be  fitted  out  and 
to  start  from  ports  of  the  United  States,  filled 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      195 

with  armed  emigrants,  but  the  personal  incli- 
nation of  the  captains  of  our  navy  regulated 
construction  of  the  ambiguous  orders  given 
about  detaining  these  vessels.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  Walker  was  detained  and  his 
force  disbanded  at  Punta  Arenas,  by  Commo- 
dore Paulding,  and  he  was  forced  to  give  per- 
sonal guaranty  that  he  would  make  no  further 
similar  attempt. 

The  attitude  of.  the  English  navy  was  such 
that  it  became  imperative  for  the  United 
States  to  instruct  their  own  cruisers  to  antici- 
pate, by.  watchfulness,  British  interference, 
which  might  endanger  the  public  peace  by  ex- 
citing popular  clamor  against  foreign  interven- 
tion. 

After  I  had  recovered  from  the  hurts  re- 
ceived on  the  San  Juan,  I  received  orders 
from  Walker  to  come  to  him  at  New  Orleans. 

A  vessel  was  fitting  out  at  Mobile  for  colo- 
nizing some  locality  in  Central  America.  Her 
manifest  exhibited  various  agricultural  imple- 
ments and  seeds,  but  gave  no  account  of  the 
arms  and  munitions  stowed  beneath  them. 

While  in  New  Orleans,  Walker  and  some  of 
his  principal  officers,  at  the  instance  of  the 
British  Consul,  were  summoned  before  the 


196      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Grand  Jury,  to  undergo  examination,  on  the 
charge  of  violating  the  neutrality  laws  of  na- 
tions, by  enlisting  men  for  foreign  service. 
The  evidence  against  us  was  ample,  and 
Judge  Campbell's  review  of  it  seemed  already 
to  have  consigned  us  to  the  limbo  made  and 
provided  for  such  offence.  The  court-room 
was  packed,  for  we  were  the  heroes  of  the 
hour  in  New  Orleans  and  Mobile.  Colonel 
Walker  arose,  and  while  feigning  to  address 
the  Judge,  in  reality  appealed  to  the  crowd. 
"  I  have  yet  to  learn,"  he  said,  "  that  men, 
seeking  to  maintain  their  rights  in  the  per- 
petuation of  Southern  institutions,  of  which 
they  have  been  unjustly  deprived  by  foreign 
and  abolitionist  interference,  are  to  be  re- 
strained by  a  Southern  jury,  and  willingly 
trust  our  case  to  their  decision."  The  tumult 
that  ensued  impressed  the  jury,  which  instantly 
declared  against  finding  a  bill,  and  we  were 
actually  carried  out  of  the  building  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  spectators. 

I  was  entrusted  with  despatches  after  this 
to  Mr.  Marcy,  the  purport  of  which  was  to 
bespeak  the  non-interference  of  the  U.  S. 
Revenue  and  Naval  Service  in  our  projected 
departure  from  Mobile.  A  verbal  promise 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      197 

was  given  to  interfere  as  little  as  possible  in 
view  of  the  popular  clamor  in  the  North,  and 
then,  one  evening  after  dark,  Colonel  Ander- 
son and  I  embarked  on  board  the  schooner 
Susan,  which  had  already  received  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  emigrants.  The  ship  being 
cast  loose  from  her  moorings,  the  tide  silently 
carried  us  out  into  the  bay  of  Mobile. 

No  customs  official  had  molested  us  while 
fast  to  the  dock,  but  when  we  had  reached  the 
open  bay  a  shadowy  vessel  ran  athwart  our  bow 
in  the  semi-obscurity  of  the  night,  hailing  us 
as  she  passed  by  announcing  herself  a  United 
States  revenue  cutter,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Morris.  He  had  orders  if  we  should 
persist  in  sailing  with  our  present  cargo,  to  sink 
us  as  soon  as  we  were  a  marine  league  from 
the  shore,  that  distance  constituting  in  their 
parlance  the  open  sea.  This  we  agreed  among 
ourselves  was  unpleasant.  She  carried  heavy 
guns  while  we  carried  none,  and  besides  not 
even  Walker  was  quite  prepared  as  yet  to 
make  war  with  the  United  States. 

Captain  Harry  Maury,  who  commanded 
our  schooner,  was  a  thorough  sailor,  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  varying  depths  of  the  bay 
of  his  native  Mobile,  and  a  true  type  of  the 


198      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

oft-quoted  chivalry  of  the  South.  He,  further- 
more had  a  rather  intimate  convivial  acquaint- 
ance with  Captain  Morris  of  the  cutter. 

We  therefore  readily  agreed  that  he  should 
try  his  diplomatic  talent,  to  extricate  us  from 
our  unpleasant  situation,  for  he  assured  us 
that  Morris  was  a  man  to  carry  out  his  in- 
structions. 

As  the  cutter  again  came  around  within 
hailing  distance,  Maury  hailed,  asking  per- 
mission to  go  aboard  with  a  friend  or  two,  for 
discussion  of  the  situation.  Receiving  a  cor- 
dial invitation  to  bring  as  many  of  his  friends 
as  he  pleased,  Colonel  Anderson  and  I  ac- 
companied him. 

The  wind  being  very  light  the  two  vessels 
kept  almost  side  by  side  while  we  were  in  the 
cabin  of  the  cutter.  Maury  remarked  that  to 
men  who  were  prospectively  so  near  Davy 
Jones'  locker,  a  glass  of  grog  would  not  be 
unacceptable. 

Morris,  hospitably  inclined,  set  forth  cham- 
pagne, drinking  fraternally  with  those  whom  a 
hard  duty  compelled  him  to  immolate,  and,  as 
bottle  succeeded  bottle,  I  saw  that  it  was  to 
become  a  question  of  endurance. 

Perfect   courtesy   was   sustained    and    still 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      199 

further  tested  when  Maury  invited  Morris  to 
come  aboard  the  schooner  and  try  our  wine, 
pledging  himself  that  he  should  be  returned 
in  safety  to  his  own  vessel.  Whatever  Morris 
might  have  decided  an  hour  before,  he  now 
promptly  accepted  the  invitation,  following  us 
in  his  own  boat. 

Drinking  was  resumed  on  the  schooner,  and, 
as  Morris  was  helped  into  his  boat,  Maury 
told  him  that  he  would  not  keep  so  good  a 
fellow  chasing  us  through  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  but  would  anchor  and  wait  for  daylight, 
cautioning  him  not  to  run  into  us  when  our 
anchor  went  down. 

The  night  had  become  exceedingly  dark, 
and  as  the  captain  of  the  cutter  reached  his 
deck,  Captain  Maury  called  out,  cautioning 
Morris  not  to  run  into  us  when  we  should 
bring  up. 

At  the  same  time  the  order  was  given  in  a 
loud  voice  to  "let  go,"  and  by  a  preconcerted 
arrangement  the  anchor  chain  rattling  through 
one  hawse-hole  was  pulled  in  at  the  other. 

Morris,  supposing  he  heard  the  chain  carry- 
ing our  anchor  down,  let  go  his  own.  As  he 
brought  up  we  shot  ahead,  and  then  came  the 
delicate  part  of  the  business. 


2OO      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

Maury  had  reckoned  on  the  difference  in 
draught  between  our  vessel  and  the  cutter— 
about  six  inches, — together  with  his  superior 
knowledge  of  the  depths  in  the  bay,  to 
carry  us  over  by  a  short  cut  into  the  sea.  He 
had  arranged  his  manoeuvre  to  coincide  with 
our  arrival  at  the  spot  on  which  he  wished  to 
make  the  test. 

We  therefore,  headed  directly  across  the 
channel,  and  Morris,  quickly  perceiving  the 
trick  we  had  played  him,  followed  as 
soon  as  he  could  pull  in  his  anchor.  Even 
this  delay  gave  us  a  start  which  in  the  thick 
darkness  deprived  him  of  the  advantage  of  our 
pilotage.  We  afterward  learned  that  he  did 
not  go  far  before  he  was  fast  on  the  bottom, 
and  of  course,  had  to  wait  for  high  tide  to  get 
off. 

The  first  half-hour  after  heading  across  the 
channel  was  full  of  anxiety  for  us. 

If  we  had  taken  the  ground,  that  would  have 
terminated  the  expedition ;  and  if  the  cutter 
had  succeeded  in  keeping  on  our  track,  and 
avoided  the  same  danger,  it  would  have  been 
equally  fatal  for  us.  The  blackness  of  the 
night  was  our  best  friend.  Once  or  twice  we 
dragged  on  the  bottom,  but  in  half  an  hour  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      201 

lead  indicated  deeper  water,  and,  as  the  sounds 
from  the  cutter  had  faded  away  in  the  distance, 
we  had  hopes  that  she  might  (as  was  the  fact) 
have  grounded.  Nothing  less  would  have 
been  of  service  to  us,  for  with  her  superior 
speed  and  knowledge  of  our  general  direction 
she  must  have  overhauled  us. 

In  this  uncertainty  we  watched  for  daylight 
with  anxiety,  but  nothing  corresponding  to  the 
cutter  was  visible.  The  blue  water  and  sky, 
and  some  inward  bound  vessels  was  all  that 
met  the  view. 

We  sped  onward  with  favoring  gales  over 
the  summer  sea,  bright  sunshine  overhead  and 
balmy  airs  gradually  becoming  more  gentle  as 
we  entered  the  tropics.  Day  succeeded  day 
uneventfully.  Our  principal  diversion  was  in 
instructing  the  emigrants  how  to  work  the 
ship.  They  were  mostly  of  the  class  found 
about  the  wharves  of  Southern  cities,  with 
here  and  there  a  Northern  bank  cashier  who 
had  suddenly  changed  his  vocation.  These 
men  were  a  study,  and  presented  infinite 
phases  of  character  and  diversities  of  educa- 
tion and  profession. 

Of  course  they  knew  nothing  of  seamanship, 
not  even  the  names  of  the  commonest  ropes  ; 


2O2      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

but  we  devised  a  plan  to  obviate  this  diffi- 
culty. 

The  different  cards  in  a  playing  pack  were 
fastened  to  the  ropes,  and  whenever  the  order 
was  given  to  "  haul  away  on  the  Jack  of  Clubs 
or  the  Ace  of  Diamonds,"  there  was  no  dan- 
ger of  a  mistake  being  made.  I  have  since 
seen  this  method  alluded  to  in  descriptions  of 
similar  emergencies,  but  have  no  doubt  we 
were  the  originators  of  the  plan. 

It  was  also  found  convenient  in  securing 
prompt  attention  to  an  order  requiring  for  ex- 
ecution a  considerable  number  of  men,  to  use 
the  prefix  Judge  or  Major. 

"  Judge,  bear  a  hand  to  square  the  yards," 
was  sure  to  bring  a  crowd  to  bear  on  the 
work. 

By  the  shores  of  Yucatan,  famed  for  ancient 
empire,  past  Cape  San  Antonio,  we  sailed 
across  the  Caribbean  Sea,  on  the  farther  shore 
of  which  lay  the  port  in  Honduras  where  we 
had  been  directed  to  make  a  landing. 

We  had  sailed  with  sealed  orders,  to  be 
opened  within  two  days  of  our  port. 

We  had  now  attained  this  point,  and  the 
arms  were  passed  up  from  the  hold  and  dis- 
tributed ;  the  men  were  equipped,  and  as  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      203 

castle  at  Omoa  was  to  be  taken  as  soon  as  we 
landed,  various  combustibles  and  scaling  lad- 
ders were  improvised  and  stowed  away  for 
immediate  use. 

These  preparations  completed,  Colonel  An- 
derson, who  was  in  command,  paraded  the 
men,  and  read  such  of  the  sealed  orders  as  it 
was  deemed  advisable  they  should  be  made 
acquainted  with. 

These  orders  were  remarkable  in  one  re- 
spect,— to  me  at  least,  who  of  late  had  not 
been  so  intimate  with  the  manner  of  conduct- 
ing the  war  as  some  of  the  others,  who  saw 
nothing  irregular  in  instructions  that  directed 
the  seizure  of  the  church  plate  and  other  valu- 
ables belonging  to  those  inimical  to  the  cause 
of  the  Democrats  in  Nicaragua. 

When  I  expressed  myself  indignant  at  being 
expected  to  aid  in  carrying  out  a  policy  which 
would  receive  the  condemnation  of  civilization 
generally,  my  friend  Anderson  admonished 
me  to  keep  such  scruples  to  myself,  as  Walker 
permitted  no  private  judgment  adverse  to  his 
decrees.  I  thanked  him,  and  told  him  that  as 
long  as  we  had  the  enemy  before  us,  -I  had 
nothing  further  to  say.  But  as  soon  as  I  could 
honorably  withdraw  I  should  leave  the  service. 


2O4      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

We  were  now  in  that  part  of  the  sea  near 
the  Honduras  coast  abounding  in  coral  reefs, 
most  of  them  submerged  and  only  apparent  to 
the  eye  and  ear  by  the  furious  surging  of  the 
water  against  their  hidden  mass.  This  contact 
would  often  send  the  white  spray  far  into  the 
air  with  a  deafening  noise. 

I  had  paced  the  deck  many  hours  into  the 
peaceful  night,  peaceful  at  least  except  where 
the  water  beat  over  the  reefs.  A  gentle  ripple 
from  the  sharp  bows  as  the  water  was  tossed 
aside,  and  the  shimmer  of  the  light  on  the 
wavelets,  with  the  moon  sailing  serenely  over- 
head, forms  a  picture  not  easily  forgotten. 

I  went  below,  passing  the  mate  and  some  of 
the  junior  officers  wrangling  over  a  game  of 
cards  at  the  table  in  the  centre  of  the  cabin, 
and  threw  myself,  dressed,  on  my  bed. 

My  head  had  hardly  touched  the  pillow 
when  a  harsh  grating  and  jar  of  the  vessel, 
whose  forward  motion  was  at  the  same  time 
stopped,  advised  me  without  the  mate's  ex- 
clamation "  Struck,  by  God  ! "  of  what  had 
happened. 

The  ship  had  run  on  one  of  the  numerous 
coral  reefs,  and  with  such  force  as  to  break  in 
the  middle,  where  the  sharp  coral  protruded 


The  "Filibuster  "  War  in  Nicaragua.      205 

through  her  bottom,  holding  her  fast,  a  for- 
tunate circumstance  for  us,  as,  if  she  had  gone 
over  the  narrow  reef,  she  would  have  sunk  in- 
stantly in  the  deep  sea.  The  sudden  arrest  of 
motion  sent  one  of  the  masts  overboard,  and 
the  large  rent  in  her  bottom  caused  her  to  fill 
with  water  almost  instantly.  I  sprang  from 
my  berth  to  the  floor,  the  water  reaching  to 
my  waist.  Securing  my  coat  and  pistol,  I 
groped  my  way  through  the  water  to  the  deck, 
a  difficult  task,  as  the  ship  had  careened  and 
lay  on  her  side.  On  deck,  where  I  had  left 
every  thing  so  peaceful,  how  great  the  change  ! 
The  resistance  offered  by  the  vessel  to  the 
swell  of  the  sea,  caused  the  water  to  strike  her 
so  violently  as  to  dash  the  spray  in  clouds  high 
over  the  deck. 

The  fallen  mast  held  against  the  leeward 
side  by  the  standing  rigging,  which  remained 
fastened  to  the  deck,  thumped  the  vessel  so 
heavily  that  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  beat  her 
to  pieces,  while  the  remaining  mast  strained  so 
hard  that  there  was  strong  probability  of  it 
wrenching  the  hull  from  the  reef  which  alone 
held  it  afloat. 

The  emigrants  were  indulging  in  wild  lamen- 
tation over  the  apparently  inevitable  death  that 


206      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

awaited  all  alike.  Prostrate  on  the  deck  they 
seemed  given  up  to  despair. 

I  confess,  as  I  looked  abroad  over  the  seeth- 
ing waters  under  the  moon's  pale  beams,  it 
seemed  to  me  that  I  would  have  preferred  a 
death  on  the  battle-field,  but  with  the  mechani- 
cal instinct  acquired  in  a  life  of  emergencies,  I 
struggled  over  the  prostrate  forms  on  the  deck 
to  that  part  of  the  side  where  the  beating  mast 
seemed  to  threaten  instant  destruction.  Here 
I  found  Maury  calling  for  an  axe,  which  was 
soon  brought,  and  a  few  well-directed  blows 
severed  the  hamper,  released  the  spar,  and 
lessened  the  noise  which,  with  the  dashing 
water  and  yells  of  the  men,  was  frightful. 

The  axe  was  next  applied  to  the  mast  left 
standing,  and  this  soon  went  after  its  fellow. 
Relieved  of  this  burden  the  ship  partly  righted, 
and  Colonel  Anderson  and  I  next  turned  our 
attention  to  quelling  the  disorder  and  turbu- 
lence of  the  men. 

A  gang  of  the  most  excited  were  trying  to 
lower  the  only  small  boat  from  the  davit  by 
which  it  hung  at  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  their 
numbers  impeding  the  work,  as  they  most 
certainly  would  also  swamp  the  boat  the  mo- 
ment she  touched  the  water.  Persuasion  would 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      207 

have  been  thrown  away  on  these  maniacs,  whom 
we  dashed  to  right  and  left,  and,  with  cocked 
revolvers  pressing  them  back,  succeeded  in 
clearing  a  space  until  we  were  seconded  by 
others,  and  enabled  to  station  a  guard  over 
this  fragile  but  only  craft  we  possessed  for 
seeking  aid  from  some  perhaps  not  distant 
land  or  passing  ship. 

This  was  no  sooner  effected  than  word  was 
brought  that  some  of  the  men  were  in  the  hold 
of  the  vessel,  drinking  themselves  stupid  from 
the  contents  of  the  spirit  casks. 

We  found  them  crowding  over  a  cask,  the 
head  of  which  had  been  knocked  in,  ladling 
the  whiskey  and  drinking  it  from  tin  cups  as  if 
it  were  water. 

Our  authority,  backed  by  the  pistols  and  the 
prompt  kicking  of  the  casks,  opened  and  un- 
opened, over  in  the  bilge  water  quelled  the 
disorder,  though  fierce  threats  were  indulged 
in,  the  men  claiming  the  right  to  drink  them- 
selves insensible  in  view  of  impending  destruc- 
tion. 

This,  though  far  from  feeling  assured  of 
ourselves,  we  persuaded  them  was  not  neces- 
sarily certain,  but  we  began  to  regain  hope  as 
we  saw  the  ship  did  not  settle,  and  we  were 


208      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

reassured,  after  an  examination,  by  finding 
that  since  she  was  relieved  of  the  masts  and 
wreckage  the  hull  remained  in  about  the  same 
position. 

A  high  sea  would  doubtless  lift  us  off  the 
rocks,  but  at  present,  though  the  spray  con- 
tinued to  dash  furiously  against  the  windward 
side  of  the  vessel,  the  water  was  smooth  a  little 
distance  away. 

A  calmer  feeling  gradually  pervaded  the  men 
as  they  saw  those  of  us  in  command  preserve 
a  hopeful  view  of  the  situation,  and  as  the 
moon  was  nearly  at  the  full,  we  had  her  light 
to  cheer  us  through  the  remainder  of  the  night. 
Huddled  under  the  weather  bulwarks  or  wher- 
ever shelter  and  holding-ground  could  be  ob- 
tained on  the  slanting  deck,  we  awaited  the 
coming  of  daylight  in  dread  anxiety,  lest  the 
beating  surges  should  scatter  the  remaining 
fragments  of  the  ship  over  the  waste  of  waters. 

The  dawn  at  length  broke,  quickly  followed 
by  the  effulgent  tropic  sun  whose  rays,  darting 
over  the  broad  expanse,  revealed  the  desola- 
tion by  which  we  were  surrounded. 

A  glimmering  ocean  filled  the  field  of  vision  ; 
here  and  there  a  patch  of  white  water  indi- 
cated the  hidden  reef,  and  in  one  spot  to 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      209 

leeward,  amid  a  larger  surface  of  foam  than 
usual,  a  dim,  brown  patch  showed  that  the 
coral  rose  above  the  water,  forming  a  little 
island  or  sand  quay,  a  home  of  the  turtle 
and  .the  sea-gull. 

In  our  immediate  vicinity  the  water  foamed 
over  ledges  of  coral  plainly  visible,  the  ragged 
pink  branches  seeming  but  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface  of  the  blue  water.  These  coral  for- 
ests, whose  tops  came  so  near  the  surface  as  to 
cause  the  sea  to  break  furiously  over  them, 
often  have  many  fathoms  of  water  close  to 
them,  so  that  the  winding  channels  of  deep 
sea  were  traceable  like  blue  ribbons  amid  the 
pink  coral. 

The  man  who  was  last  at  the  wheel,  one  of 
the  ex-bank  cashiers,  as  well  as  the  officer  of 
the  watch,  must  have  been  singularly  remiss 
in  their  duty,  for  the  white  water  which  ex- 
tended all  around  us  ought  to  have  warned 
him  of  danger. 

As  the  deck  inclined  at  a  considerable  angle, 
owing  to  the  ship's  lying  nearly  on  her  side,  it 
was  difficult  to  move  about.  As  soon  as  the 
mid-day  sun  permitted,  our  bearings  were  tak- 
en, making  us  distant  about  seventy  miles  from 
the  British  settlement  of  Balize,  Honduras, 


2io      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

The  coral  on  which  we  had  struck  was  marked 
on  the  chart  as  Glover's  reef.  After  a  brief 
council,  the  small  boat  which  we  had  rescued 
from  the  men  was  lowered,  provisioned,  pro- 
vided with  a  sail,  compass,  etc.,  and  given  in 
charge  of  the  mate  and  two  men,  with  instruc- 
tions to  proceed  in  the  direction  of  Balize  or  of 
any  vessel  that  might  be  encountered. 

We  watched  the  departure  of  this  frail  ob- 
ject, our  best  hope  of  succor,  with  intense  in- 
terest, and  when  the  horizon  shut  her  from 
our  view,  we  turned  with  not  less  solicitude  to 
watch  the  wind,  speculating  on  the  portent  of 
every  little  cloud  which  might  develop  a  wind 
that,  by  agitating  the  sea,  would  indubitably 
lift  us  from  our  hold  on  the  coral  and  consign 
us  to  the  sea. 

As  there  were  many  spars  and  casks  about 
the  ship,  these  were  collected  and  a  raft  built, 
to  be  used  as  a  dernier  ressort  in  case  the  ship 
would  go  to  pieces,  but  on  getting  the  men  on 
it  for  trial,  it  sank  two  or  three  feet  under  their 
weight  in  a  calm  sea,  demonstrating  that,  in 
rough  water,  it  would  be  wholly  useless. 

Three  days  we  remained  on  the  wreck,  our 
food  consisting  of  raw  pork  and  biscuit — for 
the  galley  had  gone  overboard  with  the 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      211 

masts.  There  was,  however,  no  complaint  of 
the  fare,  or  the  cooking  ;  a  notable  example  of 
the  evolutionist  theory  of  adaptability  to  en- 
vironment. 

During  this  time  one  or  two  Vessels  had 
passed  on  the  far  horizon  but  none  was 
expected  to  come  within  sight  of  our  coral 
environed  locality.  On  the  fourth  day,  what 
at  first  was  thought  to  be  the  wing  of  a  gull, 
became  soon  apparent  as  a  small  fishing  boat, 
at  first  heading  for  the  distant  white  water 
already  mentioned  as  bearing  evidence  of 
contiguous  land  ;  soon,  however,  we  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  her  course  changed 
directly  for  us. 

In  an  hour  she  was  alongside,  having  threaded 
the  devious  channels  between  the  coral  with  a 
skill  that  betokened  a  knowledge  of  the  navi- 
gation which  could  only  be  a  result  of  long 
practice. 

Her  occupants  inhabited  the  small  island  of 
coral  ten  or  twelve  miles  distant,  and  were  re- 
turning from  their  market  at  Balize,  whither 
they  had  conveyed  a  cargo  of  fish,  green 
turtle,  and  cocoa-nuts. 

They  readily  took  as  many  of  us  on  board 
as  they  could  carry  away  at  once,  promising  to 


212      The  ^Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

return  as  often  as  was  necessary,  for  our 
abandonment  of  the  hulk  constituted  it  their 
flotsam. 

By  night  we  were  all  on  the  island,  which 
on  a  nearer  approach  we  found  to  consist 
of  about  thirty  acres  in  surface,  raised  a  few 
inches  above  the  sea  and  covered  with  pure 
white  sand,  through  which — fertilized  by  exten- 
sive ammoniacal  deposits  of  fish  remains — there 
shot  up  a  continuous  grove  of  cocoa  palms,  la- 
den with  fruit,  and,  in  consequence  of  the  en- 
tire freedom  from  underbrush  amidst  their  tall 
stems,  forming  a  canopy  with  their  broad 
leaves  from  the  sun's  rays,  and  giving  every 
facility  for  walking  that  could  be  had  in  the 
most  elaborately  kept  park. 

This  lovely  spot  was  protected  from  rough 
water  by  outlying  reefs  breaking  the  force 
of  the  sea,  and  at  night,  when  the  moon's 
beams  filtered  through  the  palm  foliage  and 
the  murmuring  ripple  of  the  sea  broke  in 
gentle  cadence  on  the  shelly  beach,  one  might 
easily  imagine  himself  transported  to  one  of 
those  abodes  of  the  blest  which  I  am  afraid 
we  lose  sight  of  with  the  fairy  stories  of  child- 
hood,— lost  perhaps  in  fruition,  but  not  in 
idea. 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      213 

Even  yet  I  sometimes  fancy  the  possibility 
of  a  return  to  that  fairy  island.  The  flickering 
moonbeams  doubtless  still  shed  their  soft  light 
over  the  tropic  foliage  and  on  the  glistening 
sand  ;  the  sea  still  murmurs  its  sad  chant  so 
full  of  nature's  sweet  music  to  the  apprecia- 
tive, so  discordant  to  the  mere  worldling. 
There  are  other  feasts  than  those  of  the 
wassail,  other  pleasures  than  those  sought 
by  the  votaries  of  fashion  and  wealth.  A 
peaceful  communion  with  nature  and  with 
men's  highest  thoughts  on  life's  meaning, 
may  yield  greater  and  lasting  joy. 

A  fish  and  vegetable  dietarian  would  have 
been  delighted  with  the  products  of  this  island. 
Conch  and  green-turtle  soup,  fish  in  great 
variety,  cocoa-nuts,  yams,  plantains,  and  bread- 
fruit, all  in  great  abundance,  formed  a  pleasing 
change  from  the  biscuit  and  raw  pork  of  the 
previous  days,  and  as  our  ship's  stores  were  all 
saved  we  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  our 
commissariat. 

Eight  days,  including  Christmas,  we  re- 
mained on  this  charming  spot,  and  then  the 
smoke  and  afterwards  the  hull  of  a  large 
steamer  were  descried  on  the  horizon. 

Our  native  friends  went  out  in  their  boat  to 


214      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

pilot  her  amid  the  coral  reefs,  and,  after  a 
while,  she  anchored  near  by. 

The  first  boat  that  left  her  side  was  that  of 
our  ship.  The  mate  had  arrived  at  the  Brit- 
tish  settlement  for  the  logwood-cutting,  and 
found  in  the  harbor  Her  Britannic  Majesty's 
sloop  of  war  Basilisk.  He  no  sooner  men- 
tioned our  destitute  and  dangerous  situation 
to  her  captain  than  steam  was  got  up,  and, 
without  an  instant's  hesitation,  the  huge  ves- 
sel came  to  our  relief. 

A  few  questions  put  by  the  captain  to  the 
mate  acquainted  him  with  the  nature  of  our 
enterprise,  which  was  opposed  on  general 
grounds  by  the  British  nation.  But  they  chose 
to  view  us  as  shipwrecked  people  only,  and, 
with  the  humanity  characteristic  of  the  nation 
generally,  and  of  the  British  sailor  specially, 
came  without  question  to  our  aid. 

We  were  all  taken  on  board  the  beautiful 
and  magnificent  ship,  and  her  captain,  desiring 
to  make  the  favor  complete,  declared  he  would 
land  us  at  our  home  if  we  so  desired.  Five 
days  over  the  blue  water  the  majestic  vessel, 
propelled  by  wind  and  steam,  held  her  way 
and  landed  us  free  of  charge,  together  with 
our  valuable  stock  of  commissariat  stores 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      215 

saved  from  the  wreck,  on  the  quay  at  Mo- 
bile. As  we  steamed  up  the  harbor,  we  passed 
close  by  the  anchored  revenue  cutter,  whose 
pursuit  we  had  evaded  on  the  outward  pas- 
sage. A  spontaneous  cheer  of  derision  was 
given  by  the  returning  emigrants. 

Captain  Maury,  in  relating  the  episode  of 
our  evasion  of  the  cutter,  to  the  British  cap- 
tain, remarked  that  our  disaster  was  ascribable 
to  sailing  in  a  ship  bearing  the  name  of  a 
woman  (emblem  of  inconstancy  and  fickleness) 
and  not  to  the  cutter. 

The  citizens  of  Mobile  were  great  admirers 
of  General  Walker,  who  represented  -in  his 
Central  American  policy  Southern  ideas  and 
interests.  As  a  mark  of  their  esteem,  and  of 
their  admiration  of  the  humane  and  generous 
act  of  the  officers  of  the  Basilisk,  they  and 
some  of  the  Nicaraguan  officers  were  given  a 
grand  banquet  and  the  freedom  of  the  city. 

We  found  ourselves  the  heroes  of  the  hour. 

I  soon  afterwards  took  leave  of  General 
Walker,  declining  his  invitation  to  take  part 
in  another  expedition  which  he  purposed  lead- 
ing in  person,  frankly  telling  him  that  I  be- 
lieved the  methods  he  was  adopting  for  com- 
pelling a  recognition  of  the  rights  we  had 


216      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

won  in  Nicaragua  were  not  likely  to  prevail 
against  the  declared  hostility  of  the  world. 

His  reply  was  charateristic  : 

11 1  am  not  contending  for  the  world's 
approval,  but  for  the  empire  of  Central 
America." 

The  Nemesis  which  ever  accompanies  the  acts 
of  men  was  ready  with  her  award.  He  landed 
with  his  next  expedition  of  about  two  hundred 
men  at  Truxillo,  in  Honduras.  Following  his 
usual  custom  of  making  the  alternative  in  his 
encounter  with  the  enemy  one  of  victory  or 
death,  he  dismissed  his  ship  before  counting 
the  strength  of  his  foe.  They  had  been  ap- 
prised of  his  coming,  and  had  assembled  in 
numbers  sufficient  to  overwhelm  his  little 
band,  who,  unlike  the  original  fifty-six  at 
Rivas,  were  cowed  in  spirit  by  the  numbers 
opposing  them. 

In  vain  he  sought  to  infuse  his  own  in- 
domitable will  into  his  followers  ;  they  felt  they 
were  overmatched,  and  fought  rather  on  the 
defensive  than  with  the  impetuosity  which 
alone  might  have  enabled  them  to  clear  a  road 
for  themselves  through  Honduras  to  Nica- 
ragua. 

Unable  to  break  through  the  cordon  of  his 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      217 

enemies,  he  sought  to  march  by  way  of  the 
coast  to  some  point  less  beset  by  foes.  They 
met  him,  however,  at  every  point,  and  I  can 
imagine  the  longing  he  must  have  felt  for  the 
band  with  which  he  attacked  the  barricades  at 
Rivas.  His  men  absolutely  refused  the  tre- 
mendously unequal  combat.  In  this  dilemma, 
after  several  unsuccessful  engagements,  which 
demonstrated  the  hopelessness  of  his  situation, 
he  was  prevailed  on  by  the  captain  of  an  Eng- 
lish ship,  which  happened  to  be  in  the  port,  to 
surrender  himself  to  him  as  a  representative 
of  the  violated  English  protectorate  over  the 
Ruatan  Islands  and  British  Honduras — to  be- 
come a  state  prisoner  subject  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  English  courts.  The  captain — whether 
repenting  himself  of  the  responsibility  he  had 
assumed,  or  actuated  by  baser  motives,  I  know 
not — no  sooner  received  a  formal  demand  for 
his  delivery  by  the  Honduras  military  authori- 
ties on  shore,  than  he  basely  handed  him  over 
to  their  keeping. 

The  result  was  easily  foreseen  by  the  unfor- 
tunate prisoner,  who  scarcely  deigned  a  defence 
before  a  court  where  he  was  already  prejudged. 
The  sentence  of  the  drum-head  court-martial 
before  which  he  was  tried  directed  that  he 


218      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

should  be  shot.  It  was  carried  into  effect  at 
once. 

General  Walker  met  his  death  with  the  calm 
courage  which  had  been  an  eminent  character- 
istic of  every  act  of  his  life.  He  was  bravest 
among  brave  men,  and  his  freedom  from  vul- 
gar, commonplace  vices  exalted  him  in  life  in 
the  estimation  of  his  adherents  and  friends. 

In  death  his  memory  is  cherished  by  them 
for  the  example  he  gave  to  the  world  of 
courage  and  high  purpose. 

"  He  was  a  brick,  and  brave  as  a  bear. 
As  brave  as  Nevada's  grizzlies  are. 

A  dash  of  sadness  in  his  air, 

Born  maybe  of  his  over-care. 

Speak  ill  who  will  of  him  ;  he  died 

In  all  disgrace : 

I  simply  say  he  was  my  friend 

When  strong  of  hand  and  fair  of  fame  \ 

Dead  and  disgraced,  I  stand  the  same 

To  him,  and  so  shall  to  the  end." 


APPENDIX. 


PHE  subject  of  an  interoceanic  way  for  ships  across 
this  continent,  the  configuration  and  position  of 
which  interposes  a  barrier  to  commerce  between  the  prin- 
cipal marts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  has  in  this  day  of  in- 
creased wealth  and  competition  attracted  the  attention  of 
capitalists,  of  speculators,  of  patriots,  of  engineers,  but 
most  strangely  its  political  importance  and  significance  has 
failed  to  reach  the  understandings  of  the  statesmen  of 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  I  might  aptly  reflect 
that  it  may  be  considered  presumptuous  in  me  to  suppose 
that  any  advocacy  of  such  a  measure,  in  a  work  like  this, 
should  prevail,  where  the  able  arguments  of  engineers 
and  officers  who  have  devoted  a  lifetime  in  the  naval 
service  of  the  country  have  been  disregarded.  But  Nil 
desperandum,  who  knows  but  that  reiteration  of  an  ob- 
vious fact  may  excite  the  minds  of  men  to  ponder  on  a 
question  of  national  import  in  which  there  is  neither 
party  question  nor  sectional  profit.  Faith  is  said  to  move 
mountains  of  granite,  why  may  it  not  become  a  solvent 
of  stupidity  ? 

Various  schemes  have  been  projected  by  private  enter- 
prise for  the  accomplishment  of  a  measure  conceded  to 
be  of  vast  importance  commercially  and  politically. 
Hitherto,  however,  two  elements  necessary  to  success 
have  been  wanting  in  the  different  projects,  namely  : 

219  • 


22O      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

capital,  and  that  protection  for  capital  which  the  aegis 
and  sympathy  of  a  stable  government  alone  could  give. 

The  various  Isthmian  governments,  each  desirous  of 
securing  for  their  separate  localities  a  work  that  would 
redound  so  immensely  to  their  benefit,  have  repeatedly 
granted  concessions  and  privileges  to  individuals  and 
corporations — citizens  of  wealthy  and  powerful  nations — 
under  whose  protection  and  guaranty  such  a  work  could 
be  successfully  and  safely  accomplished.  But  hitherto — 
at  least  until  the  recent  effort  of  M.  de  Lesseps  at  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien — the  exigencies  of  commerce,  com- 
bined with  the  implied  though  unwritten  code  of  Ameri- 
can sentiment  commonly  known  as  the  Monroe  doctrine, 
have  not  been  sufficient,  or  have  served  to  restrain  the 
enterprise  of  foreign  capitalists  and  governments,  and 
the  wonderful  supineness  of  the  American  Congress  on 
a  question  of  such  vast  national  as  well  as  commercial 
importance  has  served  to  deter  the  otherwise  willing 
capitalists  of  the  United  States  from  the  undertaking. 

That  M.  de  Lesseps,  eminent  in  his  profession,  suc- 
cessful in  overcoming  the  natural  obstacles  in  a  similar 
undertaking  amid  the  desert  sands  of  Suez,  and  backed 
by  a  syndicate  of  monied  men  who  relied  on  his  judg- 
ment, should,  though  elated  with  his  earlier  achievement 
and  the  adulation  which  ever  follows  success,  have 
imagined  he  could  equally  overcome  the  greater  obstacles 
of  the  mountains,  the  treacherous  quicksands,  the  over- 
flow from  a  vast  water-shed,  and  the  pressure  of  the  tides 
of  two  mighty  oceans,  only  evinces  that  man's  power  in 
directing  the  forces  of  nature  is  not  illimitable,  and  that 
he  never  extinguishes  them. 

Those,  however,  who  are  disposed  to  think  that  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien  was  his  free  and  natural  choice  have 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     221 

but  ill  informed  themselves  of  the  ulterior  motives  which 
decided  him  to  select  that  which  is  now  proved  im- 
practicable, in  preference  to  the  route  proposed  by  way 
of  the  San  Juan  River  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  a  natural 
water-way  of  which  a  distinguished  and  honored  officer 
of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  Rear-Admiral  Daniel  Ammen,  writes  : 
"  The  exceptional  advantages  which  exist  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Nicaragua  Canal  will,  beyond  question* 
bring  about  its  construction,  whether  by  our  citizens  or 
those  of  some  foreign  power." 

But  had  the  Paris  Congress,  at  which  it  was  decided  to 
attempt  the  construction  of  a  canal  over  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien,  approved  of  the  route  via  Nicaragua,  they  would 
have  had  to  share  the  profit  and  control  and  glory  of  the 
enterprise  with  Americans  whose  prior  claims  and  con- 
cessions from  the  Nicaraguan  Government  would  have 
had  to  be  recognized,  as  would  also  the  right  of  interfer- 
ence in  their  behalf  of  the  Government  of  the  United 
States. 

The  Isthmus  of  Panama,  on  the  other  hand,  has  ever 
been  considered  a  kind  of  property  of  the  world, — too 
remote  for  the  operation  of  the  Monroe  doctrine,  and 
safe,  on  that  account,  to  become  ultimately  the  possession 
of  the  French  nation  whenever  the  vested  interests  of 
her  citizens  shall  demand,  as  they  doubtless  will,  the  pro- 
tection of  their  government  against  the  rapacity  and  revo- 
lutionary proclivities  of  the  Nuevo  Grenadines.  Who 
can  doubt,  in  view  of  this  alternative,  what  would  be  the 
choice  of  a  Frenchman  ;  and,  after  all,  it  may  suit  them 
to  become  the  possessors  of  the  Isthmus,  even  without 
the  canal,  at  the  expense  of  the  millions  they  will  devote 
on  the  implacable  shrine  of  nature. 

The  impracticability  of  this  scheme  will,  hov/ever,  only 


222      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

stimulate  the  ever-increasing  demand  of  commerce  for 
the  more  feasible  one  by  way  of  Nicaragua,  by  which  the 
natural  obstacles  which  have  rendered  the  other  impos- 
sible may  be  avoided,  and  the  desirability,  importance, 
and  profit  of  an  enterprise  of  this  nature  being  conceded, 
as  it  has  been  by  the  effort  made  at  Panama,  and  by  the 
significant  fact  that  capital,  which  is  proverbially  timor- 
ous, is,  nevertheless,  ready  in  abundance  for  a  new  effort 
as  soon  as  such  action  is  taken  by  the  United  States  Con- 
gress as  is  befitting  the  attitude  of  the  dominant  nation 
of  this  continent  in  its  public  affairs,  and  as  assurance  to 
her  citizens  that  their  property  invested  in  a  measure 
beneficent  alike  to  this  country  and  to  the  world,  would 
receive  protection  from  the  instability  and  revolutionary 
tendencies  of  the  Central  American  governments  and 
encroachments  of  foreign  nations. 

That  the  "  exceptional  advantages  "  alluded  to  by  Ad- 
miral Ammen  do  exist,  it  is  only  necessary,  in  proof,  to 
point  to  the  able  and  exhaustive  reports  of  Chief- Engi- 
neer Menocal,  and  to  the  invariably  favorable  testimony 
of  professional  engineers  who  have  examined  the  route. 

For  myself,  who,  without  such  professional  knowledge, 
have,  nevertheless,  had  exceptional  opportunities  for  ob- 
servation and  comparison  of  the  routes  by  way  of  Pana- 
ma and  of  the  San  Juan  River  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  and 
who  have  neither  present  nor  prospective  interest  other 
than  that  which  every  intelligent  person  has  in  a  public 
improvement,  I  can  add,  as  the  testimony  of  common 
sense  observation,  that  the  latter  is  most  favorable  of  ac- 
cess, by  its  latitude,  for  the  marts  of  the  world  ;  possesses 
a  natural  water-way  and  inland  harbor  of  sufficient  extent 
and  resource  of  water-shed  to  supply  any  depth  of  water  and 
furnish  shelter  ample  to  all  shipping ;  a  salubrious  climate,  a 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.     223 

surrounding  country  of  great  natural  resources,  including 
those  for  marine  appliances,  a  favorable  alliance  with  a 
neighboring  state  desirous  of  friendly  relations,  and 
which  happens  to  possess  a  marketable  commodity  of  no 
less  national  importance  than  that  of  the  unique  marine 
gate-way  across  the  continent. 

Is  it  reasonable  or  just  to  suppose  that  this  great  privi- 
lege will  much  longer  go  begging  ; — and  how  can  we  ex- 
pect to  deny  to  other  nations  a  right  of  acceptance  of 
that  which  we  do  not  desire  for  ourselves  ? 

The  Monroe  doctrine  is  a  good  one  ;  a  dog-in-the- 
manger  theory,  however,  is  not. 

The  former  has  not  prevented  the  inception  of  a  for- 
eign enterprise  which,  without  benefiting  the  world,  will 
probably  result  in  a  French  ownership  of  New  Grenada. 

A  persistence  in  the  latter  will  assuredly  cause  the 
people  of  Nicaragua  to  seek  an  alliance  for  their  favorite 
project  with  the  covetous  and  domineering  German  em- 
pire, whose  rulers  are  in  vain  seeking  fruitful  fields  for 
conquest  in  the  Old  World,  and  who,  failing  in  their  re- 
cent efforts  at  purchase  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  would  hail 
with  delight  an  opportunity  for  possessing  themselves  of 
such  a  "  coign  of  vantage  "  as  they  would  gain  in  doing 
the  police  duty  for  the  commerce  of  this  hemisphere,  with 
the  aid  of  coast  defences  on  two  oceans.  To  those  cog- 
nizant of  their  aggressive  and  domineering  habits  as  a 
nation,  the  prospect  of  such  a  consummation  would  not 
be  pleasing. 

And  why  should  any  question  of  such  possibility  oc- 
cur ?  Every  argument  for  a  United  States  protectorate 
and  guaranty  for  the  enterprise  is  favorable  to  that  end. 
Only  some  inherent  weakness  or  defect  in  the  Constitu- 
tion could  forbid  such  an  obvious  necessity.  Such 


224      The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua. 

defect  was  once  pleaded  in  favor  of  permitting  the 
Southern  States  to  secede  from  a  federation  no  longer 
agreeable  or  in  accord  with  their  sectional  interests,  but 
it  was  wisely  decided  for  the  integrity  and  power  of  the 
nation  to  first  suppress  the  dissent  and  afterwards  remedy 
the  cause — if  any  existed. 

There  certainly  exists  no  present  cause,  constitutional, 
international,  or  politic,  to  prevent  this  government  con- 
tracting by  treaty  with  that  of  Nicaragua  for  an  enter- 
prise of  mutual  benefit  over  the  land  and  navigable 
waters  of  the  latter  country.  And  there  is  every  induce- 
ment, demanded  alike  by  honor,  safety,  and  economy, 
that  we,  and  we  alone,  should  hold  the  keys  of  a  gate-way 
that  gives  ready  access  to  our  extensive  Pacific  coast 
possessions,  rather  than  by  any  supineness  on  this  im- 
portant question  surrender  such  privilege  to  a  possibly 
hostile  power. 

It  is  true  that  stipulations  may  be  insisted  upon,  making 
this  a  free  gate-way,  and  thereby  placing  our  marine  in 
our  own  waters  on  an  equality  with  the  rest  of  the  world 
as  to  privileges  of  access  to  our  own  ports. 

Such  methods  are  not  in  vogue  by  the  owners  of  Gib- 
raltar, of  the  Dardanelles,  why  should  they  be  with  us  ? 
Much  sentiment  is  expended  on  the  subject  of  a-free-to 
all  canal ;  is  it  necesary  ?  In  time  of  peace,  undoubtedly. 
But  in  case  of  war,  or  if  it  should  become  necessary  to 
protect  our  extensive  coast  on  two  oceans,  would  not  the 
possession  of  this  means  of  shortening  our  communica- 
tions by  shipping  between  these  two  oceans  be  a  military 
advantage  of  no  slight  value  ? 

It  may  be  objected  that  the  rest  of  the  world,  or  that 
Nicaragua  would  decline  to  acquiesce  in  such  an  exclu- 
sive arrangement  for  such  a  purpose.  As  for  the  rest  of 


The  "Filibuster"  War  in  Nicaragua.      225 

the  world,  it  would  be  none  of  its  business  if  Nicaragua 
and  the  United  States  agreed.  As  regards  any  objections 
which  Nicaragua  might  make,  they  could  be  reconciled. 

Thus,  either  as  a  private  enterprise,  protected  in  its 
rights  by  the  aegis  of  this  government,  or  as  a  measure 
of  the  government  itself,  intended  to  strengthen  and 
protect  its  vast  coast  lines  by  affording  quick  means  of 
reinforcement  for  its  marine  on  either  ocean,  it  is  desira- 
ble that  this  country  should  control  the  marine  gate-way 
across  this  continent.  Could  the  manes  of  Washington, 
of  Jackson,  of  Clay,  of  Grant,  be  invoked  to  give  an  ex- 
pression on  this  question,  can  it  be  doubted  what  the 
answer  would  be  ?  It  is  not  that  patriotism  is  wanting, 
but  that  in  these  piping  times  of  peace  and  partisan  com- 
petition, men's  efforts  are  expended  in  abusing  each  other 
from  a  Pickwickian  point  and  forecasting  future  elections, 
rather  than  in  considering  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
Were  any  great  exigency  to. arise,  they  would  be  as  ready 
as  of  old  to  do  their  devoir  gallantly. 

It  is  this  false  security  that  we  have  to  dread  in  con- 
sidering a  question  like  that  herein  treated, — a  security 
that  consigns  to  the  limbo  of  future  possibilities  a  meas- 
ure that  should  receive  the  attention  of  the  present. 

Let  this  question  be  once  fairly  discussed,  and  the  al- 
ternative presented  of  an  American  or  a  foreign  Gibraltar 
to  be  established  near  our  coasts,  an  American  or  a  for- 
eign police  for  the  marine  gate-way  of  this  continent,  and 
the  result  would  no  longer  be  doubtful. 

C.  W.  D. 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


THE  NAVAL  WAR  OF  1812 ;  or,  the  History  of  the 
United  States  Navy  during  the  last  War  with  Great 
Britain :  to  which  is  appended  an  account  of  the  Battle  of 
New  Orleans.  By  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT.  Octavo,  third 
edition,  $2  50. 

"  This  work  combines  with  a  greater  degree  of  historical  accuracy  and  a 
more  careful,  painstaking  attention  to  details  than  has  yet  been  bestowed 
upon  the  subject  an  unusual  spirit  of  impartiality  and  fairness — no  work  so 
entirely  able  and  conscientious  has  yet  appeared  relative  to  the  maritime 
history  of  that  eventful  epoch." — New  Orleans  Times-Democrat. 

4 '  The  first  full,  accurate,  and  unprejudiced  history  of  the  war  that  has 
ever  been  written  ...  a  history  which  is  a  marvel  of  justice  and  truth. 
Mr.  Roosevelt's  book  seems  destined  to  be  the  acknowledged  authority  upon 
this  subject." — Springfield  Republican. 

4 'Mr.  Roosevelt's  monograph  is  the  most  accurate,  as  it  certainly  is  the 
most  cool  and  impartial,  and  in  some  respects  the  most  intrepid  account  that 
has  yet  appeared  of  the  naval  actions  of  the  war  of  1812." — Harper's 
Magazine. 

' '  A  history  unusual  in  that  it  shows  very  little  disposition  to  undue 
national  self-laudation,  and  none  whatever  to  abuse  or  depreciate  the 
enemy." — London  Saturday  Review. 

4 '  Mr.  Roosevelt's  attempt  to  supply  an  impartial  work  which  could  be 
accepted  as  an  authority  must  therefore  have  been  a  very  laborious  under- 
taking, and  he  has  executed  it  with  a  painstaking  regard  to  detail  and  an 
evident  sincerity  of  purpose  which  cannot  fail  to  inspire  confidence.  His 
reasoning  is  close  and  lucid,  and  the  figures  given  are  copious  and  well 
chosen.  His  criticisms  are  of  sterling  value,  and  indeed  by  no  means  the 
least  important  part  of  the  work  ...  he  gives  stirring  descriptions  of 
these  desperate  fights  .  .  .  The  plan  of  the  work  is  excellent,  while 
the  general  tone  is  fair  and  discriminating  .  .  .  it  is  alike  valuable  to 
students  of  naval  history  and  interesting  to  all  who  take  pride  in  the  doughty 
deeds  performed  by  seamen  of  the  English  stock." — London  Academy. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  New  York  and  London. 


HUNTING  TRIPS  OF  A  RANCHMAN.     Sketches 
of    Sport   in    the   Northern   Cattle    Plains,   together  with 
Personal    Experiences  of    Life  on  a  Cattle   Ranch       By 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  author  of  "  The  Naval  War  of  1812." 
Popular  edition.      With   thirty-five  illustrations  engraved 
on   wood,    from  designs    made    for    this  work,  by   Frost, 
Gifford,  Beard,  and  Sandham.     Octavo,  cloth  .     .     $3  50 
"  *     *     *     j-[e  must  be  a  hopeless  reader  who  does  not  rise  from  this 
book  with  a  new  and  vivid  sense  of  the  '  fascination  of  the  vastness,  loneli- 
ness, and  monotony  of  the  prairies,'  and  of  '  the  sad  and  everlasting  unrest 
of  the  wilderness  '   of   the  Big   Horn   Mountains,   in  addition  to  pleasant 
familiarity  with  their  flora  and  fauna.      *      *      *      As  already  said,   the 
charm  about  this  ranchman  as  author  is  that  he  is  every  inch  a  gentleman- 
-sportsman.     Again,    he   is  a  careful   observer   of   the  characters  and  indi- 
vidualities of  animals,  and  he  is  a  pleasant  and  graphic  describer  of  them. 
*     *     *     \ye  believe  the  author   may  safely  reckon  on  a  wide  and    per- 
manent popularity  with  English  readers,  even  those  of  them  who,  like  the 
writer,  have  long  laid  aside  rod  and  gun,  and  learned  Wordsworth's  grand 
lesson . ' ' — London  Spectator. 

"  One  of  those  distinctively  American  books  which  ought  to  be  wel- 
comed as  contributing  distinctly  to  raise  the  literary  prestige  of  the  country 
all  over  the  world.  *  *  *  Many  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  narratives  are 
enriched  by  bits  of  realism  which  linger  in  the  memory  like  snatches  of 
poetry." — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  given  a  peculiar  charm  to  his  book  from  his  in- 
tense love  of  nature  and  his  capacity  to  communicate  to  others  his  own 
impressions.  A  great  debt  is  due  him  for  having  preserved  in  such  a 
charming  manner  one  of  the  most  important  chapters  in  the  long  history  of 
the  conquest  of  the  American  Wilderness." — Atlantic  Monthly. 

"  One  of  the  rare  books  which  sportsmen  will  be  glad  to  add  to  their 
libraries.  Nothing  so  good  of  the  sort  has  appeared  for  years.  *  *  * 
What  we  like  about  the  author  is  the  certainty  that  he  is  thoroughly  trust- 
worthy, and  we  feel  that  we  may  receive  his  sporting  experiences  for 
gospel." — Saturday  Review. 

"Mr.  Roosevelt's  volume  is  as  readable  as  it  is  handsome.  *  *  * 
The  author  is  an  eager  sportsman  and  a  good  writer.  His  pen  is  as  eloquent 
as  his  rifle  is  effective.  *  *  *  " — London  Atkencsum. 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS, 
NEW  YORK  :  LONDON  : 

27  AND  29  WEST  23D  STREET.  27  KING  WILLIAM  STREET,  STRAND. 


QPoW^ 


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